As Aaron Rodgers‘ sideline frustrations boiled over in Pittsburgh against the Texans game on Monday, a Colts legend watching from afar knew exactly how he would have handled it. Reggie Wayne, one of the most respected wide receivers of his time, weighed in after clips showing the veteran quarterback losing his cool and snapping at Steelers wide receivers in a 30-6 Wild Card loss.

“Me and Aaron would’ve been got into it,” he wrote on X, referring to the quarterback’s aggression towards his receivers.

Rodgers and Wayne were never on the same team, but what we do know is that the Packers were once interested in the receiver. The year was 2015. The deal never materialized since he eventually signed with the New England Patriots, only to spend just two weeks with them while appearing in two preseason games before walking away from the sport. That said, although Wayne did not play with Rodgers, but he surely has his eyes on the quarterback with more follow-up tweets firmly confirming so.   

“He snap’n on every incomplete ball. Lol,” he added. In a response to an X user, Wayne seemed to dwell over it with a benefit of doubt, “Do we really know who was in the wrong though? We’re not in the meetings.

“Receivers shouldn’t do it to their QB and vice versa.

“It’s just football etiquette. You don’t show up the qb and vice versa if something goes bad. Stuff happens out there. We talk about it on the sidelines. That’s all.”

Aaron Rodgers was seething!

Cameras caught Rodgers using expletive language while speaking to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith on the sideline. 

 “He didn’t F***ING do what he was supposed to do,” the QB said while reacting to a short drive that ended in a punt.

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The Steelers eventually lost to the Texans as offensive struggles persisted throughout the game. The defeat extended the franchise’s playoff win drought, which stretches back to 2017. But is breaking character over a playoff loss valid? Wayne, who had spent the prime of his career catching passes from Peyton Manning and even won the Lombardi Trophy once, doesn’t agree. 

That said, Rodgers has a history of calling out receivers in the past. During his time in Green Bay, he openly slammed young pass-catchers in 2022 after Davante Adams exited in the offseason. 

“The young guys, especially young receivers, we’ve got to be way more consistent,” Rodgers said. “A lot of drops, a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route. We’ve got to get better in that area.”

Rodgers’ reaction stemmed from struggles and expectations. The offense was completely stagnant, managing only 175 total yards, with the passing game being particularly ineffective. Even star receiver DK Metcalf’s return couldn’t add spark as he finished with just two catches for 42 yards with one dropped pass. Rodgers didn’t have a clean night either, posting one fumble and one interception.

While Rodgers’ emotions ran high during the game, many fans couldn’t help but feel the same way after Monday’s loss. But there was one player who faced Aaron Rodgers’ wrath a bit more than others. 

Kenneth Gainwell faced Rodgers’ frustration head-on

The Steelers hosted the Texans at Acrisure Stadium, but the home-field magic never came their way. In fact, Aaron Rodgers started side-eyeing his unit from the get-go. The quarterback was seeing red ‌only a few minutes into the game, specifically toward running back Kenneth Gainwell. 

Rodgers blasted him for running the route and even blamed him when the drive stalled. At that point, the scoreboard was still empty, but the Texans were leading the scoreboard by the end of the first half. The running back delivered one of the poorest showings of the season, posting just 20 rushing yards and 6 carries. 

What made Rodgers’ reaction stand out was how volatile he can get with his unit. Just weeks before, he praised Gainwell during their 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions when he scored the winning touchdown. 

“Kenny’s been unbelievable in the passing game,” he said. “Just unbelievable. And he’s so damn smart. I was telling him, ‘I wish I had played with him for 10 years.’ Just because of the kind of player that he is. You just love playing with that guy.”

For Rodgers to lose his composure so quickly suggested that Gainwell didn’t execute the play the way the quarterback expected. But the league is clearly not appreciating the QB’s hot-headed nature.