Jordan Rodgers is back on television, and this time he’s using the spotlight to go to bat for his brother.
Three days after the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season, Jordan Rodgers appeared on ESPN’s First Take and pushed back on the early criticism aimed at Aaron Rodgers and Pittsburgh’s sluggish start. The college football analyst said the quarterback’s downfield work looked better than the box score suggested, and he pointed to dropped passes and missed calls as the reason several plays never turned into gains.
“Rodgers was actually very accurate down the field,” Jordan said. “The throws that were not completed because he threw a non-call or that were dropped down the field were on the money. Not trying to be a homer.”
Jordan also drew a comparison between Aaron’s reunion with former Packers coach Mike McCarthy and getting back together with an ex after a long separation. He said the Steelers flashed signs of becoming explosive in Week 1 and argued the group simply needs more patience.
Aaron, for his part, admitted after the Patriots game that the offense fell short of its standard while also crediting New England’s defense.
The public defense from Jordan comes after a summer that marked a noticeable thaw in the brothers’ long-running estrangement. Aaron posted Instagram photos earlier this summer with his parents Ed and Darla and brother Luke, a move that signaled a public end to years of distance that first drew attention during Jordan’s 2016 appearance on The Bachelorette.
Aaron later said on teammate Cam Heyward’s podcast that he and Jordan had also met for difficult but productive conversations. Jordan was not included in the original photo set, which prompted questions at the time, but both brothers have since spoken about the progress.
Now, with Aaron in his second season in Pittsburgh and the results still uneven, Jordan is making the case that the offense looks better than the score has shown.
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