Ryan Clark shared a funny story on the Football America! Podcast about an awkward moment he had with Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers during training camp. Clark thought he was making a friendly gesture. The former Steelers safety says he texted ahead of camp, hoping to grab a few minutes with Rodgers, the team’s newest quarterback, to welcome him to Steeler Nation and talk ball.
Rodgers passed.
That should have wrapped things up, but Clark mentioned they bumped into each other again as he drove up to the facility. Rodgers was talking with OC Arthur Smith. Clark waved to a few players. Smith acknowledged him, but Rodgers just stayed quiet.
At first glance, that sounds like shade. But Clark didn’t see it that way.
“I respected it,” he said. “He wasn’t gonna be fake. That set the tone—’ you and I don’t talk.’ And that’s better than it being an issue.”
It’s typical Rodgers, totally straightforward and not worried about how it looks. Clark thinks that kind of honesty is way better than putting on a fake smile or giving a phony handshake.
The backstory for those not in the now. In his role as ESPN analyst, Clark hasn’t held back his feelings on Rodgers. Last year, he called him a “fraud” and “tone-deaf” for not being a good teammate and poor leader. Rodgers fired back, not explicitly naming Clark but former athletes turned analysts who jeer from the peanut gallery. Rodgers, known for holding a grudge, clearly hasn’t forgotten those comments.
The standout moment was definitely entertaining, but what Clark said afterward was even more interesting: Rodgers still looks like his old self. Clark, who’s played against him at his best, mentioned that the throws he saw in Latrobe were “some of the best footballs I’ve ever seen thrown on those fields.” His arm talent is still on point.
Clark is calling this season a big chance for the whole Rodgers/Tomlin combo to prove themselves. That Week 1 matchup against Justin Fields and New York Jets is critical mainly to keep the talk down. If they lose, the rumors will start flying. But if Rodgers steps up and takes responsibility, kind of like saying, “that one’s on me,” Clark thinks the team will rally behind him.
Rodgers ignoring Clark isn’t just some personal drama; it’s about being real. Clark even joked about it later, saying Rodgers is like many legends, such as Kobe Bryant, hold onto slights for life. Steelers’ fans know that kind of intensity can have its downsides, but it’s also what’s helped Rodgers become a future Hall of Famer.
No matter how the Steelers’ season goes with Rodgers, good, bad, or downright ugly, Clark won’t be afraid to share his thoughts.
