Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has heard a lot of criticism over his 21 NFL seasons. It just comes with the territory, especially for a lightning rod like Rodgers who’s not afraid to speak his mind and stir up controversy.
He’s used to it and understands that part of the game, but he doesn’t always agree with it.
Rodgers recently addressed fan behavior after Steelers teammate DK Metcalf took a swipe at a Detroit Lions fan last week, advocating for rules to limit some of the nastier barbs directed at players.
“There’s always a lot of different things that are said. Some things that are benign, and some things that aren’t,” Rodgers said. “I think there’s a mindset that you pay for a ticket, you say whatever the hell you want. I think there should be some sort of code of conduct. Obviously, that was intentional, and I think there was some celebration afterwards on (the fan’s) part.”
Rodgers also thinks fans feel emboldened to say mean things to players because they don’t have to face them up close, similar to online bullying. He said most of his in-person interactions with fans have been “cordial,” even in rival cities.
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“Obviously, I don’t condone what DK did, but I understand. There’s been a lot of crazy comments said my way over the years,” Rodgers said. “The truth is, that would never happen face-to-face.”
Rodgers added that “there are two sides to every story” and said he’ll continue to support Metcalf, who’s been suspended for Pittsburgh’s final two regular-season games.
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