Respect your elders.
That’s the message Aaron Rodgers jokingly shared with teammate Broderick Jones after the 311-pound offensive lineman got a little too aggressive in tackling the quarterback after a touchdown pass last week.
“Like I texted him, ‘Hey, man, I love your energy, I love everything you’re about, but also I’m 41, OK, you can’t be out there tackling me like that,’” Rodgers joked Wednesday. “But I love Rod. We had a couple laughs about it. But I told him I’m getting him next, he better watch his back.”
The Steelers’ 33-31 road loss to the Bengals on “Thursday Night Football” last week featured a rather stunning moment when Rodgers’ teammate decided to sack him.
The future Hall of Famer had just found tight end Pat Freiermuth for a go-ahead 68-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter and unleashed his signature jumping fist bump celebration.
Once Rodgers landed, an overzealous Jones came up behind him and grabbed him by the neck.
The force led to both hitting the ground, and Rodgers seemingly did not appreciate the roughness.
He rose and pushed Jones while saying something indecipherable.
“The only tackle I had the other night was Broderick,” said Rodgers, who was not sacked in the loss. “So other than that, I’m feeling pretty good.”
Rodgers noted the excitement shown by the former first-round pick is par for the course.
“Rod is always the first one to come find me after a play. It could be like the first big pass down to DK (Metcalf) on third down, he’s coming and dapping me up,” Rodgers said. “What you don’t see in the video is right after the throw, he’s coming over to me and shaking me and shaking me.”
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Jones admitted Monday that Rodgers vented some frustration, although it seems fine now.
“We’re still joking about it,” Jones said. “He was a little mad, but it’s alright, it’s football, it gets intense. But it’s no love lost, it’s the energy he brings and that I bring, he told me don’t lose the fire and I told him the same. We shall see on Sunday after he throws another touchdown and I tackle him again.”
Rodgers surely is hoping Jones is the only person sacking him again this Sunday when new Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons will be chasing him down.
Sunday could be a historic night since it may be the first and possibly only time Rodgers faces Green Bay since he’s hinted at retiring this offseason.
Rodgers starred for Green Bay from 2005-22, guiding the team to its last Super Bowl title during the 2010 season before the ill-fated two-year stint with the Jets.
“I have a lot of love for the organization,” Rodgers said. “But if we were playing at Lambeau (Field), that would be a little bit different feeling, for sure.”
