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NFL insider Mike Florio argued Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had an “attitude of resignation” during the Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been quite expressive during games when things don’t go well for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season. When he’s not visibly yelling, he often displays a face that makes it easy to read what he’s likely thinking.
NFL insider Mike Florio argued Friday that Rodgers’s facial expressions hit a low point during the Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“The Bengals game, he looked irritated the whole time. On Sunday against the Chargers, he had more of an overall attitude of resignation,” Florio said of Rodgers on 93.7 The Fan this week, via Steelers Depot’s Matthew Marci. “And was it, ‘It’s not our night,’ or is it ‘It’s not our year,’ or is it, ‘I’m just done, and I’m not gonna get what I thought I was gonna get here in Pittsburgh?’”
Florio continued to read between the lines and assess Rodgers’s mindset based on his Week 10 facial expressions.
“I just feel like he’s accepting something,” Florio also said of Rodgers. “Whether it was just that night or the rest of the season, and ‘This is how my career’s gonna end,’ I don’t know.
“But he definitely had just kind of an acceptance that seemed like he was recognizing. ‘That’s all, folks.’”
The Many Facial Expressions of Aaron Rodgers
It’s Florio’s job to read between the lines and draw dramatic conclusions to stir discussion in the media. But his conclusion that Rodgers has accepted his fate in Pittsburgh because of a bad few weeks is going to be a bridge too far for a lot of fans.
Florio’s take on Rodgers didn’t come from sources or insider knowledge — it’s a feeling he has. His “feelings” or “guesses around the quarterback have been way off in the past.
Florio made an “educated guess” in March that it was going to cost $90 million on a two-year contract for the Steelers to sign the veteran quarterback. Rodgers’s deal with Pittsburgh was a one-year, $13.65 million contract.
Florio is right about one thing — it’s rather easy to decipher when Rodgers is displeased about something along the sidelines. Sunday night against the Chargers, there was plenty to be upset about with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh had only 221 yards and finished 2-for-11 on third down in Week 10. The offense didn’t reach the end zone until there was fewer than three minutes remaining in regulation.
Speaking of unhappy facial expressions, Mike Tomlin appeared rather disgusted based on his face during the third quarter. Again, that’s understandable based on how the team’s played on offense.
But talking about Tomlin’s expressions doesn’t make headlines. So, the coach’s face went largely unnoticed.
Rodgers Doesn’t Sound Like a QB Accepting His Fate
Sideline behavior can be a clear indication into a player’s mindset. But a postgame press conference can reveal that as well.
In his Week 10 postgame presser, Rodgers stated that the offense lacked energy.
“I feel like we were just kind of struggling a little bit, couldn’t get a play to get going,” Rodgers said. “We always say, ‘we just get a first down, we score on that drive.’ We had so many three and outs and we hurt ourselves with a couple penalties.
To a follow-up question, though, the quarterback clarified the low energy isn’t something happening a lot with the offense or team.
“It’s just sometimes in the game, when it’s just not going, it’s just one of those days where we just couldn’t quite get over the hump and get some first downs,” said Rodgers.
Based on those responses, Rodgers’s facial expressions were probably closer to “this isn’t our night” than “this isn’t our year.”
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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