It's been a chaotic week for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they got bounced from the NFL playoffs and subsequently parted ways with longtime head coach Mike Tomlin. But while fans were sad to see him go, it's possible nobody had a bigger reaction than Aaron Rodgers himself.
The Athletic released an inside report on Tomlin's final hours with the organization and included a noteworthy passage highlighting Rodgers' response to Tomlin's resignation. He was repeatedly heard saying "I'm sorry" to Tomlin in the team meeting room.
"Inside the team meeting room on Tuesday, Rodgers, through sobs, mustered a two-word message to deliver to his coach: 'I'm sorry,' several players heard him say. 'I'm sorry. I'm sorry.'"
Fan Response
NFL fans were saddened to hear how emotion Rodgers got over Tomlin's departure:
"I don’t think I’ve seen Rodgers love somebody else this much since Davante Adams," one user on X remarked.
"I wasn't 100% about Rodgers when we signed him. He had bad moments, but overall he was pretty good on the field and proved a lot of people wrong about his character off the field. My main takeaway from this season is that Rodgers and Tomlin had a special connection..." wrote another. "and it would have been great for each side if Rodgers had come to Pittsburgh years ago when the rumors first circulated. Imagine Rodgers on the 2022 Steelers with a much better defense and a few years with GP. Also Rodgers wouldn't have gone through bad experience with the Jets"
"I’ll always have a huge appreciation for what Aaron brought to this year’s Steelers team. I loved watching Aaron for years, and getting to see him sling it for my team was awesome," a third wrote.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Rodgers led the Steelers to their third straight 10-7 campaign and playoff appearance, but the end result was the same as the last two: one-and-done.
Tomlin's departure from Pittsburgh might wind up preceding Rodgers' own departure from Pittsburgh, if not the entire NFL.
Have we seen the last of both Tomlin and Rodgers on an NFL field?