Aaron Rodgers In Tampa
October 14th, 2026
Drama queen Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers.
Lately, when a future Hall of Fame quarterback comes into The Licht House, Joe is afraid.
With the way the Bucs have been the past four years, an edge rush doesn’t mean much. So that means said future Hall of Fame quarterback will have time to pick the Bucs defense apart.
Joe doesn’t get that same vibe with drama queen Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers quarterback has had few good games here. He was 31 of 40 for 318 in a 20-3 win over the lousy Lovie Smith-led Bucs back when Rodgers was at the height of his career with the Packers. And that game may have been his high-water mark in Tampa.
Rodgers often struggles in warm-weather cities for some reason. It’s supposed to be in the low 80s on Sunday.
Additionally, Rodgers is convinced the turf at The Licht House is inferior. He has always whined about that. In fact, he once blamed the turf on a foot injury he battled through in 2014.
Rodgers is 2-3 when facing the Bucs in Tampa.
Only once has a Rodgers-led offense scored more than 21 points in Tampa and that was a 38-28 loss to Josh Freeman and the Bucs in Freeman’s first start in 2009.
That day was also Lee Roy Selmon Day, as the Bucs great had his number retired. The Bucs wore creamsicle to honor him.
Rodgers’ two wins in Tampa came in 2014 and 2022. The Packers, with Rodgers leading their offense, averaged 18 points a game in Tampa. Sunday will be Rodgers’ first game in Tampa as a Steelers quarterback and his final game in Tampa for his career. Rodgers has said that this is his final NFL season.
So given Rodgers’ whining about the turf in Tampa and his usual bad showings in warm-weather cities, Joe thinks all of that lives in Rodgers’ head and he will be scatterbrained as a result.
October 14th, 2026 at 9:24 am
Rodgers will destroy the bucs defense if there is no pressure on him, plain and simple.
October 14th, 2026 at 9:26 am
Can we put Bain on the dmn line, fingers in the dirt, as close as possible please? He seems to have a little more success in that position.
October 14th, 2026 at 9:34 am
Great point MadMax … amazing concept to have him do what he was successful with in college
October 14th, 2026 at 9:45 am
I mean, it’s not like his gripes aren’t warranted. Even in this game coming up you’ve got USF kicking off against Kent State 18hrs before the Bucs-Steelers starts. Not only is that a short turnaround, but there’s no way you can tell me the grounds grew has enough time to rehab that field in that little bit of time. Not even mentioning a 75% chance of rain Saturday, that fields’ going to look like hamburger helper.
Elements aside, Aaron Rodgers in 3 games against a Bowles led Bucs defense has thrown 5 TDs to 4 INTs and been sacked 10 total times. I personally think Rodgers being older makes less of a difference than this being one of the least talented teams’ he’s been surrounded by offensively playing us.
Roman Wilson is hurt, I’d make McCollum follow DK Metcalf around all game and I’d make JP follow Germ Bernard. I’d also be interested in seeing how much we throw at Max Iheananchor as a rookie. I’d rotate rushers, stunt away & toward him and give him some overloads to handle. Force Pitt to keep Friermouth in-line as help to partially take him out of pass concepts.
It should be interesting to see the game plan & game play unfold. I like our chances to string a 2nd straight W together which is something we haven’t done since the first third of last season going from SEA to SF. BAck to back wins would be pretty sweet.
October 14th, 2026 at 9:46 am
We need to sign Suh for this week, nobody gets in Karen Rodgers head like Suh does.
October 14th, 2026 at 9:51 am
why would you be afraid Joe? We have the defensive guru dialing up cover zero’s and making our 1st round pick PASS RUSHER cover the other team’s #1 receiver 10 yards downfield. What could go wrong?
October 14th, 2026 at 10:03 am
Father Time has caught up with Rogers. His erragainst is legendary and he has rightfully earned the title of MR. A$$H0]&. It would be great for the Bucs to win their last game against Rogers in Tampa.
GO BUCS
October 14th, 2026 at 10:05 am
Hey Joe I always had trouble believing you about Bowles caring about an edge rush. I just thought after Shaq and JPP he just did not have anyone. However,yesterday on the Coaches Show he said sacks don’t really mean anything except for stats and individual accomplishments. That is pretty much a quote. He said pressure is what really matters and getting the qb uncomfortable. That is pretty much a quote as well.
I had to scratch my head. I mean sacks create down and distance and momentumn. I mean yes of course getting the qb uncomfortable is important, but for a coach to not value what a sack does in changing a game was well hard to believe, but I heard it. Check out the Coaches show on the Bucs website.
With that said the d line needs to step up or Rogers will carve them up.
October 14th, 2026 at 10:07 am
I find the turf conversation laughable. First off, I don’t care what opposing QBs have to say or whine about regarding our field. It seems like an eternity ago but, we didn’t always have this hybrid turf as a playing surface, and they played actual games on it regardless of its condition.
The key to keeping Rodgers quiet, as if it’s some big secret, is to put his a$$ in the dirt early and often. If we don’t get to Rodgers, well…
October 14th, 2026 at 10:09 am
Either way, the opposing quarterback won’t be a factor, like all of our games so far. We haven’t let any of them loose. Our only problem is our own quarterback.
October 14th, 2026 at 10:13 am
He’s going to have his last start in his long career
He’s gonna have a career ending injury
Just my intuition and not wishing injury upon him.
October 14th, 2026 at 10:28 am
Just do the other things well and everything will be fine. Trust the process.
October 14th, 2026 at 10:59 am
This game has much less to do with Aaron Rodgers than it does our offense’s production and winning the turnover battles.
We need to score some points…….convert in the red zone…..protect the ball.
October 14th, 2026 at 11:11 am
If we can hit him in the mouth early? We can get him rattled. I have seen it. Todd? You listening?
Go Bucs!
October 14th, 2026 at 11:53 am
Rogers is more dangerous than ever . Hes getting the ball out quick. That tank Warren is going to go through like a hot knife through butter. Blitzing successfully is the chance we have.
October 14th, 2026 at 11:57 am
the defense is starting to take form…have a vibe of sorts…
but they can’t get sacks for sh!t lol…
if the D can raise up and have a big shutdown performance against old man rodgers, people will begin to notice what this defense is doing more…pundits and sh!t talkers alike…
the D’s gotta make a stand…and go in with the mentality “all we got is us”
and the offense might be gaining some identity as well, if they can repeat with a heavy and solid ground game on sunday…pound the rock……and jalon manage jalon lol
October 14th, 2026 at 11:58 am
we gotta knock the ayahuasca out of him…often and early
October 14th, 2026 at 11:59 am
and if it’s not working, a nice dose of ayahuasca in all the steelers water bottles at halftime…
and ayahuasca flavored gatorade coolers for them boys too
October 14th, 2026 at 12:26 pm
Only chance we got is to get pressure even if you have to blitz. Rodgers has a very quick release so it won’t be easy getting to him. Defense is going to have to be on point this game like in Dallas.
October 14th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
Let this defense end his career like the Bucs did to Bree’s in the playoffs in 2020. That was a thing of beauty and the best part was it was done on their home turf.
October 14th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
I appreciate the joes for trying to hype up the fan base for the Bucs because they sure suck at but 1 win and a 1-4 record doesn’t erase what they are and going back to last year. A hall of fame quarterback being scatterbrained because of warm weather and turf against this team is a sad take. Bowles will catch no one else off guard so i hope that’s somewhat who they can be
October 14th, 2026 at 1:30 pm
Two whose time has come and gone: Rodgers and Bowles
October 14th, 2026 at 7:18 pm
A lot of fans have little or no faith in Todd Bowles as a head coach. That does not mean he is not a good defensive coordinator. We shall see this week.
Go Bucs!!
October 14th, 2026 at 7:31 pm
I hope the Bucs blitz Karen early, and blitz Karen hard. Once he gets rattled out comes that drama queen we all know and luv! Game over!
October 14th, 2026 at 9:07 pm
This is an interesting article/observation. I’d add that he appears at least to the eye to be taking ever other game off so far energy and focus wise so….go Bucs I guess.
October 14th, 2026 at 9:54 pm
With Bowles attitude… if Karen Aaron does shrooms, goes on the field in an evening gown with stiletto heels, the Bucs might get a sack.
October 14th, 2026 at 9:59 pm
football 1 Says:
“I just thought after Shaq and JPP he just did not have anyone.”
.
.
Also, when Shaq and JPP were here, I think Arians had a different philosophy about how he liked his defense used.
October 14th, 2026 at 10:04 pm
Bucsfanman Says:
“It seems like an eternity ago but, we didn’t always have this hybrid turf as a playing surface, and they played actual games on it regardless of its condition.”
.
.
In the days of the Old Sombrero, we had a playing surface that consistently was rated on of the league’s best. This was before USF football, which probably has a lot to do with it. I imagine that after USF’s stadium is built, our field will improve.
October 14th, 2026 at 10:11 pm
I didn’t realize all of the players and coaches on the current team were also on the team in 2009, 2014, etc. Thanks for that intel Joe – and yes, given that these are the same players and coaches that he’s faced for the last 17 years, he should definitely be scatter-brained. Nice analysis Joe, lol (all tongue in cheek).
October 14th, 2026 at 10:46 pm
Thank you very much.
October 15th, 2026 at 7:32 am
We need 4 sacks to win, not pressures, sacks…4 is the key number I feel in my bones! Otherwise the Bucs will lose in another close 4th quarter heartbreak….and then u can be sellers at the trade deadline as 1-5 its over…Unless Bake gets on a healthy run when he comes back, yeah i said it!
October 15th, 2026 at 2:00 pm
IMO Jalen Warren is going to eat our D’s lunch. I hope I’m wrong.