Steelers receiver Mike Williams sent a social-media message to his former quarterback after catching a game-winning touchdown pass in his debut with Pittsburgh. Aaron Rodgers, who claimed he wasn’t aware of the “Red Line” hashtag Williams applied to a celebratory post on Instagram, laughed it off when asked about it on Wednesday by reporters.
Does Rodgers have a response to Williams?
“I don’t have one,” Rodgers said, chuckling. “I like Mike. I’m happy for Mike.”
Rodgers publicly criticized Williams for running the wrong route on the play that became in game-sealing interception in a Monday night loss to the Bills last month. Rodgers said Williams should have been on the “red line” that runs (on a practice field) five yards from the sideline. When Williams wasn’t where he was supposed to be, Rodgers adjusted the throw and the pass was picked off.
Quarterbacks in the vast majority of situations don’t blame receivers in public for incompletions or interceptions, even when it’s their fault. Rodgers, who later claimed he was simply answering a question, broke that unwritten rule.
Williams was clearly still thinking about it, even after he was traded to Pittsburgh. And Williams has every reason to. Rodgers could have simply said it was a miscommunication. Instead, he specifically placed the blame on Williams.
It’s no surprise. Rodgers attaches heavy importance on his obscenely impressive touchdown-to-interception ratio, since gaudy stats like that help support the argument that he’s one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, despite having only one Super Bowl appearance and one Super Bowl win.
Williams is now playing with a quarterback who has two Super Bowl appearances. And Russell Wilson has never complained, publicly or privately, about a teammate. Even if he could have taken the position that the interception that cost him a second ring should be blamed on receiver Jermaine Kearse, for failing to execute the pick/rub on Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler that would have allowed receiver Ricardo Lockette to catch the championship-winning touchdown pass.