Aaron Rodgers rips the referees after Steelers open the 2026 season with a win
The Steelers are still far from being Super Bowl contenders, but Rodgers had a good start to his last season in the NFL
The NFL Week 1 schedule is officially in the books, and it delivered something truly unprecedented and historic: for the first time ever , a 16-game week concluded with every single matchup finishing with a completely unique point differential, meaning every team won by a different margin of victory.
It also stands as the highest-scoring kickoff weekend in NFL history with a staggering 791 total points , spearheaded by the Chicago Bears dropping 59 points, while surprisingly, the Los Angeles Rams were the only squad across the entire league failing to crack double digits during the opening slate of the 2026 season.
Aaron Rodgers Calls Out Officials After Steelers Opener
Among the most captivating matchups of the weekend was the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Atlanta Falcons, showcasing a pair of fresh coaching regimes, most notably the Steelers breaking in a new head coach for the first time after 19 seasons under Mike Tomlin .
New head coach Mike McCarthy enjoyed a successful debut, guiding his squad to a 20-13 victory in his emotional reunion with Aaron Rodgers , a pairing that previously spent 13 seasons together in Green Bay and captured a Super Bowl title.
Playing in his 22nd and final NFL campaign as the oldest player in the league, the 42-year-old quarterback completed his evening throwing for 221 yards and a touchdown to tight end Pat Freiermuth in a steady, composed performance.
Despite securing the win, Rodgers proved true to his outspoken reputation during his post-game sideline interview with veteran Fox reporter Pam Oliver, sharply criticizing the officiating crew over several missed infractions. "I think we did a lot of good things out there," Rodgers stated.
"We had a chance to be really, really explosive. We had a couple drops, a couple off targets, a couple non-calls, looked like penalties." The legendary signal-caller specifically highlighted a glaring missed 40-yard pass interference penalty against Falcons star cornerback A.J. Terrell, noting it could easily have resulted in a touchdown.
Ultimately, it took a clutch defensive play from four-time All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt to secure the outcome, as Watt read a fourth-quarter screen pass intended for star running back Bijan Robinson and raced for an improbable pick-six.
The Steelers will now hit the road to face the New England Patriots before returning home to close out the month with a crucial divisional showdown against Cincinnati.
