Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Tried To Protect Veteran Receiver Amid Demoralizing Stretch

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been struggling to find any sort of consistency on either side of the ball. There has been plenty of flashes of talent in all areas, but Pittsburgh has not been able to put it all together yet. Hopefully, they were all able to get back on the same page during the mini-bye week prior to Week 5, especially with the supposed easy part of the schedule coming up. If the team can't gain consistency during this stretch, the post-bye gauntlet could be too much for it. 

With most of these struggling players, they have shown something that made the Steelers feel intrigued. One player in particular has not looked good at all, and even Aaron Rodgers has tried to protect him from the media. Insider Ray Fittipaldo explained this situation while making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan.

"Before we knew about the injury, I asked Aaron about [Michael] Pittman yesterday," Fittipaldo said. [Rodgers was] very guarded about the way he talked about Pittman."

Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has been nothing short of underwhelming during his time in Pittsburgh so far. In the three games that he has played so far, he has only been targeted 12 times while hauling in seven receptions for 89 yards. That's not what the Steelers were expecting when they traded for him and immediately inked him to a new extension to keep him around for the long-term future. 

Pittman was supposed to be Rodgers' short-yard hot read, as his style meshes perfectly with how the 42-year-old plays now. It doesn't help that the quarterback reportedly is not fond of the veteran receiver at all. Even then, he's still trying to not throw him under the bus publicly like he has with other players, so there is some hope that the two can eventually get on the same page and figure everything out. 

This relationship will have to wait a few weeks before getting back on track. Head Coach Mike McCarthy recently announced that Pittman will be out for multiple games with Injured Reserve (IR) possibly being an option. As Fittipaldo mentioned later on, that could be the reason why everyone was tiptoeing around questions about Pittman in their media availabilities, as he is clearly not up to speed. 

Pittman missed all of preseason with an injury, which also cost him the chance to play in Week 2. He reportedly practiced a bit on Wednesday before reaggravating his foot and having to move around on a scooter. For someone whose game is all about quick, twitchy movements to get open underneath, there is a lot more pressure put on his feet than most receivers. You can't run routes if you can't step right.

It's clear that Pittman and Rodgers have not had a lot of time to gel due to this injury, which has caused these frustrations. The problem is that there is barely any time to get on the same page whenever he returns. It's very hard for players to suddenly gain chemistry in the middle of the season when they have barely worked with each other. While the veteran may not want to throw him under the bus, it's unlikely that these two play well together in 2026.

Steelers Will Still Be Relying On Pittman After 2026

Once Rodgers retires at season's end, the most likely outcome is that Pittman will have a young, inexperienced quarterback throwing the ball his way. Even with the frustrations of 2026, he will need to be a steady, reliable receiver to help these new gunslingers develop and become capable passers as that safe, underneath option that he was expected to be.

What do you think about Rodgers being very "guarded" with his answers toward Pittman? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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