ESPN slammed for 'embarrassing' decision involving Aaron Rodgers' brother

Sian JonesThu, September 24, 2026 at 4:20 PM UTC

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Jordan Rodgers was asked to discuss his brother Aaron's poor start to the season -Credit:X

ESPN has been criticised for an “embarrassing” decision involving Aaron Rodgers’ brother, Jordan Rodgers.

On Wednesday’s episode of First Take, Jordan discussed how his brother has performed during the opening weeks of the 2026 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jordan offered a measured assessment of the quarterback while also defending his brother against criticism.

“I think if you truly watched Week 1, this was a team that was a few drops and a few drops away from being absolutely explosive like we haven’t seen out of the Steelers in a really long time,” he said. “Rodgers was actually very accurate down the field. The throws that were not completed because of either a non-call or a drop down the field were on the money. Not trying to be a homer.” It comes asRodgers became embroiled in a fresh war of words with ex-partner after Danica Patrick digs.

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Rodgers has endured a difficult start to the 2026 season, ranking third-worst in PFN’s NFL Quarterback Impact Metric after two games. The Steelers quarterback has completed 59.5% of his passes for 408 yards, one touchdown and one interception, while his six sacks for 58 yards lead the league.

Pittsburgh’s struggles moving the ball have added to the pressure, but Jordan was not ready to write his brother off. “They can’t run the football, which doesn’t help, and no one can catch right now… I think they’ll get better, patience,” he added.

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Rodgers is now in his 22nd NFL season and second with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his latest chapter has brought an intriguing reunion with Mike McCarthy. McCarthy coached Rodgers for more than a decade in Green Bay, including during their Super Bowl XLV triumph in 2011, before their relationship became strained.

“The other aspect that I think is still a feeling-out process, Rodgers and McCarthy are like that ex you ended up getting back together with after a long time,” he said. “You’re like, ‘Things are better. We’re different people. We’re still trying to figure out those quirks we had when we were in a relationship.’ So I think they’re still trying to figure out who they want to be based on what they both are capable of in this second iteration of their relationship. I think that’s going to take time.”

However, sports media writer Jimmy Traina criticized First Take for putting Jordan Rodgers in the position of analyzing his brother’s difficult start with Pittsburgh.

Traina described the segment as uncomfortable viewing and questioned the decision to have Jordan discuss his brother’s performance on air.

“I’m not going to blame Jordan Rodgers for this. Whoever is in charge of the segment and in charge of First Take should take the hit for making him talk about his brother. This is embarrassing and cringe,” Traina wrote on X.

Jordan’s comments came just weeks after Aaron revealed that the brothers had reunited for the first time in years following a long-running family feud.

“I went out to Nashville and met with my older brother,” Aaron said on an episode of Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast, referring to his brother Luke, who lives in Tennessee with his wife and three kids. “A couple weeks after that, I met with my little brother. It was cool.”

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”