![\"Aaron](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/121707930.jpg\" "\\"Aaron")
Aaron Rodgers’ arrival in Pittsburgh has ignited controversy (Imagn Images) Aaron Rodgers hasn\u2019t even thrown a pass in black and gold yet, but his arrival in Pittsburgh has already caused a firestorm\u2014literally. Just days after the veteran quarterback officially signed a one-year, $10 million guaranteed deal with the Steelers, a passionate fan was caught on video torching a signed Minkah Fitzpatrick jersey in protest.<\/p>\n
Jersey burning draws backlash\u2014and confusion<\/p>\n
The now-viral video, posted by @SteelCityReece, shows the fan erupting in fury over what he called the \u201ckilling\u201d of the team\u2019s future. \u201cI\u2019ll never be a Steelers fan again… Yinz pick up Aaron Rodgers\u2014you keep killing us!\u201d he shouted, referencing the team\u2019s controversial decisions to part ways with quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver George Pickens. \u201cYou let go of them for this? It\u2019s sad… today is my last day being a Steelers fan.\u201dWhile the fan\u2019s frustration over the team\u2019s direction isn\u2019t unique, his decision to target Fitzpatrick\u2019s jersey baffled many. The All-Pro safety had nothing to do with Rodgers\u2019 arrival and remains one of the most respected players on the roster. Steelers defensive leader Cam Heyward quickly jumped to Fitzpatrick\u2019s defense on social media, writing: \u201cFirst off, why Minkah’s jersey? That’s bonkers. Second, why burn it when people need clothes? Third, you’ll regret it!\u201dHeyward\u2019s response struck a chord, earning praise from fans and teammates alike. The post not only called out the protest\u2019s absurdity but also highlighted the needless destruction of valuable items during a time when many people are in need.<\/p>\n
A divided fanbase and a controversial new chapter<\/p>\n
At 41, Rodgers enters a Steelers locker room still reeling from recent roster upheavals. The release of Fields\u2014now with Dallas\u2014and the trade of Pickens to New England have left fans questioning the team\u2019s direction. For some, Rodgers represents one last shot at a playoff run. For others, he\u2019s a roadblock for younger talent like Kenny Pickett.Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw also criticized Rodgers’ acquisition, adding fuel to the controversy. Still, Rodgers brings undeniable experience and a proven track record when healthy. Whether that translates into success in Pittsburgh remains to be seen.Also Read: Can Aaron Rodgers lead the Steelers past Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow in the AFC North race?<\/a>As training camp approaches, the Steelers hope on-field performance will silence off-field chaos. For now, though, Rodgers’ presence is doing exactly what he has done throughout his career\u2014capturing attention and dividing opinion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Aaron Rodgers’ arrival in Pittsburgh has ignited controversy (Imagn Images) Aaron Rodgers hasn\u2019t even thrown a pass in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":115026,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2055],"tags":[28588,7,7583,28590,6,28591,520,57,2374,2360,426,28589,11718],"class_list":{"0":"post-115025","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh-steelers","8":"tag-aaron-rodgers-steelers-controversy","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-minkah-fitzpatrick","11":"tag-minkah-fitzpatrick-jersey-burning","12":"tag-nfl","13":"tag-nfl-fan-protests","14":"tag-pittsburgh","15":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers","16":"tag-pittsburgh-steelers-news","17":"tag-pittsburghsteelers","18":"tag-steelers","19":"tag-steelers-jersey-burning-protest","20":"tag-terry-bradshaw"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114650960602707435","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115025"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115025\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}