Former Pittsburgh Steelers guard Willie Colon didn't hold back when assessing the current friction between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy. Speaking on “Good Morning Football,” Colon made a disgusted sound before laying out the growing divide within the team's offense following a disappointing outing where the defense held the New England Patriots to just 13 points.
Addressing Rodgers’ recent passive-aggressive comments about needing to inform McCarthy which plays are failing, Colon highlighted a fundamental clash in philosophy between the star quarterback and his head coach.
“It’s complicated right? Look, the Steelers are trying to figure out do they have an offense that their quarterback, coach and offensive line can execute
together. On one hand, you’re hearing Mike McCarthy saying, ‘We gotta dial it back. It’s too much volume. We gotta simplify this thing.’ And Aaron’s simply saying, ‘No, we gotta execute better and we gotta be adults.’ So there’s a disconnect there.”
"It's complicated, right?"
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) September 22, 2026
Willie Colon addresses the Steelers' issues after their loss to the Patriots 😬 pic.twitter.com/AYDblL5TA2
According to Colon, the root of the problem stems from summer preparation. McCarthy aimed to establish a run-heavy identity, but Colon argues the team lacked the physical preparation required to succeed on the ground.
“Part of the problem is Mike McCarthy wanted to start the season emphasizing the run game. Mike McCarthy took the pads off these boys this training camp. And they didn’t play a lot. So if you’re looking for a brand of football where you run the ball and have play action right over the top. There’s a total loss of identity, which is unfortunate because the defense, they held the Patriots to 13 points.”
With the offense failing to support an elite defensive performance, Colon expressed concern over whether Pittsburgh can correct course quickly. He concluded that "the operation, the scheme, everything’s really sloppy right now and I don’t know if they can fix it in a week.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Former Steelers OL slams McCarthy & Rodgers' disconnect over offense
