Aaron Rodgers Shared Why He Was Furious At Steelers WR After Costly INT

Andy Nesbitt | Sep 15, 2025

Aaron Rodgers was not happy with wide receiver Calvin Austin after throwing an interception in the third quarter vs. the Seahawks. / @FoxSports

Aaron Rodgers's home debut with the Steelers didn't go as he hoped as Pittsburgh lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 31-17. The 41-year-old QB had a decent game, throwing for 203 yards and a touchdown but he also had two interceptions, including a costly one in the end zone that he later blamed on one of his young receivers being in the wrong place.

That play happened with just over four minutes left in the third quarter. With the game tied 14-14, the Steelers had a great chance to take a lead and carry some momentum into the fourth quarter. Instead, Rodgers's pass bounced off Calvin Austin's hands and was picked off by the Seahawks.

Rodgers, who was seen yelling at Austin after the play, explained after the game that the 26-year-old wide receiver was in the wrong place and that he shouldn't have gotten in the way of tight end Pat Freiermuth, who would've had a good shot at making the catch.

“Cal’s the best kid ever, but he probably should have just stayed in the flat there. He knows it,” Rodgers said. “He was kind of stealing it from Pat or catching it to put it away and score a touchdown. Cal’s the best kid, and it sucks because he’s such a great kid. But unfortunately, that whole sequence took points off the board.”

Austin took the blame for it after the game, saying:

“That’s most definitely on me. That interception wasn’t on 8 [Rodgers] or on Pat or anything. If I had just stayed on the front pylon, it probably would have been a touchdown. I was in scramble rules. I was in the wrong spot, just trying to make a play. But I gotta do what I’m coached and not, in the spur of the moment, do something to try to make a play.”

Here's that play:

Calvin Austin, who plays for the Steelers, with a big-time PBU there on a ball that probably wasn’t for him.

Derion Kendrick makes the INT in his Seahawks debut pic.twitter.com/C9qYF9rhk4

— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) September 14, 2025

And here was Rodgers's initial reaction:

Rodgers getting on Austin after INT in EZ #Steelers pic.twitter.com/MrEpEbVYEr

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) September 14, 2025

Rodgers is still getting to know his new receivers and he didn't really throw Austin under the bus about that mistake. But it will be interesting to see how the veteran quarterback grows this season with the Steelers.

Everything seemed to go really well in their Week 1 win over the Jets, with Rodgers throwing four touchdown passes, including one to Austin.

Now they face adversity for the first time this year and will try to bounce back in Week 3 when they face the Patriots on the road.

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