Fans have tried to slap a label on Aaron Rodgers for decades, but it never quite sticks. The future first-ballot Hall of Famer and current Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback will inevitably unleash some incendiary statement that raises speculation and evokes outrage from pundits. Nobody quite knows who will be in the line of fire, however. There is a chance Rodgers will rattle off a soundbite that offends all groups of people at one time or another. Though, the majority of the public will probably find little issue with the latest demographic he chose to target. Fellow athletes will be especially delighted.
Following the Steelers' 16-10 win versus the New Orleans Saints inside Paris' Stade de France, the Super Bowl 45 MVP revealed that there was actually an idea floated about doing an International Week. It would have consisted of 16 games scattered around the globe. While explaining why this proposal ultimately fizzled out during negotiations for a past Collective Bargaining Agreement, he tore directly into NFL owners.
“So you play 16 regular-season [weeks], you have two bye weeks — one of those weeks would've been an international week,” Rodgers said, per ESPN — the comments were conveyed by 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi via a clip. “I think it would've been phenomenal for the game. Now, the owners wanted to push for 17 games for the extra revenue and because they care so much about player safety, but it would've been nice.”
Is Aaron Rodgers onto something?
Rodgers is not the first star to bemoan the current schedule. If the league truly wants to grow the sport, then it can do so while also allowing players enough time to recover after traveling overseas. One less game could also reduce the injury report. NFL brass always prioritizes the bottom line, however. The four-time regular season MVP introduced another suggestion on how to improve the international experience, and in the process, he landed another blow on owners.
“I think they should mandate every team coming over Sunday or Monday to really enjoy the culture of the place you're going,” Aaron Rodgers said after completing 19-of-30 passes for 212 yards and a history-making touchdown. “You can do events in those cities and outreach stuff and community work, but they won't because they're a little tight.”
Article Continues BelowIncredible: Aaron Rodgers peels back curtain on NFL. Said a decade ago plan was for a full week of international games. Mentions Dubai as destination. But greedy owners wanted 17th game instead. Would have added extra bye for player health. He also rips owners for being cheap 😂 pic.twitter.com/nI6dkTmWlM
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) October 25, 2026
Rodgers will elicit some curse words from owner suites around the NFL, but he makes a convincing argument. While all billionaires are inherently polarizing, those who run NFL franchises draw especially big reactions. Despite residing in the most popular American sports league by a wide margin, players are constantly fighting for guaranteed money and are often deemed expendable.
Aaron Rodgers is not just championing his fellow union members. He is also speaking for spectators around the world who could benefit greatly from his weeklong outreach suggestion. The 42-year-old will be dubbed a man of the people after this thoughtful yet scathing admission, that is until he says something else that raises countless eyebrows.