You know what’s absolutely wild? Aaron Rodgers, yes, *that* Aaron Rodgers, had our former Seahawk, DK Metcalf, wide open for what should’ve been an absolute walk-in deep touchdown pass in the third quarter. He flat out didn’t see it, checking it down to Ben Skowronek instead. Then, to twist the knife, he missed DK wide open *again* on the final play of the game, forcing a ball to Roman Wilson that got picked off and sealed the Steelers’ latest loss to the Cleveland Browns. Talk about a gut punch.
Pittsburgh’s Perplexing Pattern: Trading Talent and Taking L’s
This isn’t just about Rodgers’ missed reads, though that’s a huge part of it. The Steelers are stuck in this bizarre “new normal” where they trade top players at key positions without any kind of backup plan, then lose to division rivals. Like, they traded Joey Porter Jr. and lost to the Browns all within a 24-hour span. Are you kidding me? This “new normal” isn’t even new, either. They haven’t beaten the Browns in Cleveland since Ben Roethlisberger’s final season back in 2021.
This trading habit is just… baffling. They did it with Diontae Johnson in 2023 and couldn’t find an adequate No. 2 receiver for George Pickens. Then, in 2025, they traded Pickens away entirely, didn’t find a good No. 2 to put opposite DK Metcalf, and Pickens went on to be an All-Pro somewhere else. Now, with Porter Jr. gone, their secondary was immediately exposed by Deshaun Watson and the Browns. This isn’t the team from the 2000s, where their defense was lights-out for six years and they had a young star at quarterback. They used to be the big brother that would give the Browns a noogie twice a year. Now? They’re that brother past their prime, clinging to glory days like it’s a high school reunion. The “Browns is the Browns” joke? It’s certainly rich coming from any Steelers fan still saying it, because at this point, the Steelers *is* the Steelers. This is their identity. Draft a good player, they show talent, trade them away, try to trade for another player to replace them. This team used to consistently compete for Super Bowls 15-20 years ago. Now, they just trade players they don’t want to pay and lose to the Browns every year. Not with this owner, at least. But hey, that 2008 season was special, wasn’t it?
Rodgers’ Blinders on Metcalf: A Hard Cap on the Offense
Let’s get back to what’s really grinding my gears: our guy, DK Metcalf, being out there giving it his all, and Aaron Rodgers just *not seeing him*. We’re talking about two separate instances in one game where Rodgers left serious points on the field. In the third quarter, DK was literally wide open for what was described as the “easiest deep touchdown pass of his career.” Rodgers missed it. Unbelievable.
Then, on the final play of the game for the Steelers, Rodgers had DK open *again*. This wasn’t some impossible throw; it would’ve been an easy completion to get them to the 35-yard line for a 52-yard field goal attempt by Chris Boswell, which could’ve sent the game into overtime! Instead, he forced the ball to Roman Wilson, and it was picked off, sealing the game. You can’t make this stuff up. It’s frustrating to watch, especially when you know the kind of game-changing plays DK can make. This kind of pressure on Rodgers is clearly putting a hard cap on the Steelers’ offense, and it’s costing them.
It’s the morning after game day, and after seeing Aaron Rodgers just completely whiff on throws to a weapon like DK Metcalf, you gotta wonder what’s next. This isn’t the Steelers we grew up knowing, and frankly, it feels like they’re just stuck in a cycle of trading away talent and losing to the Browns. This identity of theirs, where they keep trying to replace players they just dealt, has to change. It’s time to take off that old letterman jacket, Pittsburgh, because right now, even with DK battling, it’s not looking good. The Steelers need to change how they do business.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Behind the Steel Curtain.
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