Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers offers Kaleb Johnson a piece of advice he will desperately need after costly error against Seahawks
That will come in handy.
Kaleb Johnson had what, in all likelihood, will be the worst play of his NFL career on Sunday. It’s better to get it out of his system as a rookie. His decision not to field the kick return didn’t only net the Seattle Seahawks a TD, it was the straw that broke the Pittsburgh Steelers’ back on Sunday.
The mistake came a week after Johnson hardly played in his NFL debut. If he wasn’t already in Mike Tomlin’s dog house, he certainly is now. He was immediately taken off the kick return unit, and he didn’t play a snap on offense for the rest of the game. But Aaron Rodgers still believes in Johnson.
“Kaleb’s a great kid, and this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league,” Rodgers said after the game. “When you have success early on, you have to learn how to handle success. And when you deal with adversity, you have to learn how to deal with adversity the right way. You can’t let this get your confidence down, can’t hang your head.”
Aaon Rodgers, Steelers still behind Kaleb Johnson
“This is a professional league, and we expect greatness, but we also understand there’s gonna be mistakes and they happen,” added Rodgers on Johnson. “We’re human, and you gotta move on and get better. They’re gonna love you when you’re riding high. They’re gonna try and crush you when you get beat. Can’t let it crush you, crush your spirits. Keep your confidence.”
Let’s be clear here, it’s been a rough start for Johnson. He didn’t have the best camp, was slow to see it in the preseason, and now he had a game-costing blunder. But football is a fickle sport, Johnson is a rookie, and like Rodgers said, the NFL is a roller coaster. The Steelers won in large part due to a special teams play last week, and they were cut by the double-edged sword this week.
“Poor judgment by a young player,” said Tomlin after the game. “We were in a close ball game last week, and a special teams play broke it open in our favor. This week, we’re in a close ball game, and a special teams play broke it open in our opponent’s favor. I just think that’s life in this business at this level.”
Pittsburgh Steelers News
Kaleb Johnson won’t admit who is at fault when asked about the play that cost the Steelers the game against Seattle
A messy situation.
