PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers spent the week insisting his first-ever game against the Green Bay Packers wasn’t personal. That he wasn’t looking for revenge against the team he defined for the better part of two decades.
Good thing, because there was none to be had on Sunday night in Pittsburgh’s 35-25 loss to Green Bay.
Instead, there was only reminder after reminder that while the 41-year-old Rodgers can still compete at a high level, the team that surrounds him remains very much a work in progress. And maybe an iffy one at that.
Rodgers threw for 219 yards and two scores in Pittsburgh’s second straight loss, the first time he’s ever looked across the field and watched the Packers celebrate victory on the other.
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“Disappointed,” Rodgers said. “Disappointed that I didn’t play better, that we didn’t play better, especially in the second half.”
Rodgers spent 18 years in Green Bay building a resume that will one day land him in the Hall of Fame. Four MVPs and a Super Bowl title will do that. Yet rather than retire as a Packer, Rodgers kept going.
That journey eventually brought him to Pittsburgh, where he is serving as a highly skilled stopgap to whichever franchise quarterback might come next. Rodgers has shown flashes that he can still bring it when he has to in his 21st season. But the days when his brilliance can almost single-handedly overcome his team’s considerable warts are over.
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. Credit: AP/Sue Ogrocki
After a promising 4-1 start, the Steelers have dropped two straight and while Rodgers has no interest in riding the weekly roller coaster that is the NFL season, he’s also well aware there’s too much for Pittsburgh to address for him to get caught up in playing “remember when” when talking about the Packers.
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Rodgers spent a chunk of the pregame catching up with old friends, many of them members of the Green Bay support staff who have remained following his departure.
Yet when he was introduced to a loud and long ovation while wearing Pittsburgh’s garish or inspired (depending on your perspective) throwbacks, Rodgers was all business. All Pittsburgh.
He deftly guided the Steelers to four scoring drives in the first half while building a 16-7 lead. The problem is, three of those drives ended in long field goals by Chris Boswell instead of touchdowns.
Green Bay Packers’ Rashan Gary sacks Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Pittsburgh. Credit: AP/Sue Ogrocki
“Bos bailed us out on four incredible kicks, but when you’re playing good teams, you need to score touchdowns, and we stalled out in the high red zone,” Rodgers said.
Green Bay righted itself offensively after halftime behind Love — who at one point tied a franchise record by completing 20 straight passes — and Rodgers and the rest of the Steelers couldn’t keep pace.
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Pittsburgh’s first five possessions in the second half went punt, field goal, punt, punt, fumble. A wholly unnecessary 15-yard penalty against wide receiver DK Metcalf blunted a late drive before it even started. A fumble by running back Kenny Gainwell set up a Green Bay field goal that effectively put the game out of reach.
“We can’t beat ourselves,” Rodgers said. “I think in the three losses, there’s been times where we’ve had opportunities and we’ve hurt ourselves with turnovers or just negative plays. So we got to cut those out. We got to get on the same page on offense and defense and keep the faith.”
That faith will be tested in the coming weeks. Pittsburgh welcomes AFC South leading Indianapolis next week before a trip to Los Angeles to face the Chargers. There is plenty to clean up, particularly on a high-priced defense that has looked overmatched for long stretches and has now not produced a turnover in three straight games.
If there is a saving grace for Rodgers, it’s this: there are no longer any more former teams for him to face this season. Seven weeks after his tenure with Pittsburgh began with a four-touchdown masterpiece against the Jets, he watched Love put on a Rodgers-like performance while he and the Steelers sputtered at key times.
Afterward, Rodgers and Love shared a brief embrace at midfield, with Love putting in a request to get a signed jersey from the man who showed him what it means to be a professional quarterback.
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And as discouraged as he might have been at the final score, Rodgers also couldn’t help but take notice of his protege, the player who looks and plays at times an awful lot like his mentor.
“He played great,” Rodgers said. “He played fantastic. He’s had a really nice season. He’s been really efficient with the football.”
All sentences that have been used to describe Rodgers at times during his career. Just maybe not on Sunday, when nostalgia gave way to the reality that there is work to be done if Rodgers wants his one-year coda in Pittsburgh to end on a more upbeat note than his time in Green Bay did.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have found their next special teams ace. A team that has had one for years and decades – John Fiala of the late 90s, Clint Kreidwalt, Sean Morey, and Chidi Iwuoma of the mid-2000s, Darrius Heyward-Bey and Tyler Matakevich of the mid-late 2010s, and Miles Killebrew of the 2020s, Carson Bruener is carrying that torch into 2025 and beyond.
A seventh-round pick who made the roster for his ‘teams value, he’s been putting that role to good use. Though Bruener has logged just one defensive snap this season, he’s quickly emerged as a core special teamer. His 220 special teams snaps rank fifth on the team and his 14 tackles on that unit is an excellent number.
Sunday’s showing against Baltimore was his marquee performance to date. Three special teams tackles, all on kick coverage, with high-end reps. Twice, he bowled over his would-be Ravens’ blocker en route to the returner.
On this rep, he is aligned at R2, fourth-in from the left. No. 39 dies a slow death as Bruener runs over him while keying the returner. Baltimore’s runback is clunky with the returner ahead of his up-man, losing a blocker in the process, and Bruener keeps him lateral and pinned to the sideline. Sebastian Castro and Jabrill Peppers also do nice jobs here to run him out of bounds.
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Very similar here. Bruener again runs through his blocker even more forcefully this time, and the returner has nowhere to go. Bruener is no longer blocked and in position to make the tackle. He finishes this play off himself.
His final tackle was an assist and not solo. A little less impressive. Still, it was a solid rep shedding the block of TE Charlie Kolar, squaring up the returner, and combining with Peppers to make the stop.
The tackles themselves don’t tell the whole story. Bruener’s three stops put the Ravens at: their 26, 26, and 29 yard line. That’s six to nine yards inside of where a touchback would come out to the 35 yard line. Hidden yardage that works in Pittsburgh’s favor.
An underrated part of Omar Khan/Andy Weidl’s first two draft classes are the seventh round hits. In 2023, there was OL Spencer Anderson. In 2025, Bruener. Two serious contributors to the roster.
Kick and punt coverage are the first line of defense. It must be strong. The Steelers have been excellent here, and Bruener looks like a stud in the making. It wouldn’t be surprising he became a special teams captain in 2026 and held the job for the next seven years.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Dreams continue to come true for a pair of Chattanooga area high school football stars, who each have their senior season still to come.
Five days after claiming his first TSSAA state championship gold ball trophy while also earning BlueCross Bowl MVP honors, Baylor’s David Gabriel Georges joined elite company as the Terrebonne, Quebec, native became the fifth high school football player from the Chattanooga area to win the Mr. Football award for a second time.
The five-star recruit and the nation’s No. 14 prospect for the Class of 2027 finished the season with 162 carries for 1,756 yards and 27 touchdowns to help Baylor cap off a perfect 12-0 season in Division II-AAA and earn a No. 16 national ranking from ESPN.
South Pittsburg junior Dayon Cooper also earned the state’s most prestigious individual honor, as he was named Class 1A’s Mr. Football winner. The speedster helped the Pirates win their eighth TSSAA state title and finished the regular season with 29 catches for 681 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 37 carries for 421 yards and five scores. Cooper also returned three kickoffs for touchdowns.
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The other 2025 Tennessee Titans Mr. Football award winners to be recognized Tuesday inside of Nissan Stadium were East Robertson’s Zach Groves (2A), Westview’s Graham Simpson (3A), Greeneville’s Caden Baugh (4A), Sevier County’s Cooper Newman (5A), Southwind’s Kelvin Perkins (6A), Nashville Christian School’s Jared Curtis (Division II-A), Battle Ground Academy’s Kaedyn Marable (DII-AA) and Brentwood Academy’s Tommy Bauchiero, who won Kicker of the Year honors.
Gabriel Georges joins former local prep icons Adarius Bowman (Notre Dame, 2001-02), Gerald Riggs Jr. (Red Bank, 2000-01), B.J. Coleman (McCallie, 2005-06), and Jacques Smith (Ooltewah, 2008-09) as two-time Mr. Football winners.
Gabriel Georges has the chance to become the state’s second three-time Mr. Football award winner, where he would join Eric Gray, who won three times while playing at The Lausanne Collegiate School from 2016-18 before playing in college for Tennessee and Oklahoma and later with the NFL’s New York Giants.
Baylor has now produced 11 Mr. Football award winners, while there have been 55 local winners since the awards began in 1985. South Pittsburg and Tyner are tied for the second most Mr. Football award winners with seven each.
Three other local stars were honored as Mr. Football runner-ups Tuesday, including Baylor senior quarterback Briggs Cherry, Boyd Buchanan senior running back/defensive back David Green in Division II-A, and Notre Dame senior Owen Maddox, who was a nominee for Kicker of the Year.
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Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.
Two Frays Brewery x Bike PGH 5113 Penn Ave., Garfield. twofraysbrewery.com
Bike Pittsburgh and Two Frays have teamed up on a spruce-infused winter beer. Be among the first to try the new bike beer (and learn its name) on Tue., Dec. 9, from 6-9 p.m. during a Beer Release Party at Two Frays. The free event includes giveaways, activities, and NA drinks. A portion of the proceeds benefits Bike Pittsburgh’s advocacy for safer infrastructure.
Holiday Cookies 2025
Last week, Pittsburgh City Paper brought you cold treats for the season, but don’t sleep on classic holiday cookies at swaps, walks, markets, and more.
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Riverstone Books in McCandless relaunches its cookbook club with a Holiday Cookie Swap. On Thu., Dec. 11, from 6:30-8 p.m., bakers are invited to bring three dozen cookies to swap with other attendees, fill a take-home box, and vote for a Best-in-Show winner. RSVP online.
How about cookies with soup? Waverly Presbyterian Church in Braddock hosts its annual Cookie Walk and Soup Sale on Sat., Dec. 13, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Snag a kid- or adult-sized box of homemade cookies, a quart of soup, or a soup flight, and enjoy a raffle and crafts for sale.
The Lawrenceville Cookie Tour returns Sat., Dec. 13-Sun., Dec. 14. The 28-year-old tradition offers free homemade cookies and snacks at 45 stops along Butler Street. Participants include Cork Harbour Pub, Mix Candle Co., the new Kinship Gifting shop, the Office of Pa. Rep. Lindsay Powell, and Pita My Shawarma (plus its recently opened wine and mezze bar). Shoppers can also vote on which treat should earn the Cookie Tour Cup.
A Cookie Mall and Pop-Up Market coincides with the Cookie Tour on Sat., Dec. 13, from 1-5 p.m. at the Estelle S. Campbell (Lawrenceville) Boys & Girls Club. Help support seven nonprofit groups during an event that offers free hot dogs, a market with more than 40 artisans and vintage vendors, caroling, pictures with Santa, and more. The Pop-Up Market will return for a second day on Sun., Dec. 14, from 12-4 p.m.
Polish Hill Civic Association 3060 Brereton St., Polish Hill. polishhillcivicassociation.org
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Who says hot dogs are only for summer? The Polish Hill Civic Association celebrates the season on Fri., Dec. 12, from 6-9 p.m., with a Holiday Weenie Roast that features festive glizzies, a craft vendor market, tree toss, refreshments, tunes, and a Santa appearance. The organization is also accepting bake sale donations for the Weenie Roast.
Attack Theatre x Trace Brewing 212 45th St., Lawrenceville. attacktheatre.com
Attack Theatre mashes up dance, cheer, and craft beer at its Holiday Hops winter celebration. On Fri., Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., head to the dance company’s Lawrenceville studio for an all-ages cabaret-style event featuring a lighthearted “Holiday Unwrapped” performance (set to music ranging from classical to techno to klezmer), interactive games, craft beer from Trace Brewing, and other “surprises.” Tickets cost $45 for general admission, $25 for students, educators, and seniors, and $10 for kids 12 and under.
Grist House Fire Fest Credit: Gary Yon Photography
Grist House Craft Brewery 10 E. Sherman St., Millvale. gristhouse.com
Grist House promises to keep things extra merry and bright at its seventh annual Fire Fest. On Sat., Dec. 13 from 12-10 p.m., the Millvale brewery transforms into a “glowing, crackling celebration of craft beer and fire” with 10 custom indoor and outdoor fire pits and tabletop stoves. Those who “embrace the chill” enjoy a lineup of specialty stouts (including a Fire Fest Reserve) and hot cocktails, glassblowing demonstrations, and fire performances, along with the return of the “Gristmas” mystery gift tree. Fire Fest is free and open to the public. Guests are encouraged to dress warmly and arrive early.
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7 Brew Coffee 5960 University Blvd., Moon Township. 7brew.com
7 Brew, an Arkansas-based drive-thru coffee stand with a legion of fans, opened its first Pittsburgh-area location on Dec. 8 in Moon Township. According to a company release, the new coffee stand near Robert Morris University features two drive-thru lanes and offers more than 20,000 drink combinations for a “completely customizable” coffee. 7 Brew also serves chillers, tea, infused “7 Energy” drinks, and sodas. The Moon Township location is the first in 7 Brew’s “growing Western Pennsylvania expansion,” with plans to open 80 locations by the end of next year.
7 Brew Coffee Credit: 7 Brew Drive-Thru Coffee
In Pittsburgh, Jeff Goldblum always finds a way. Creative Chem Co., a Bloomfield-based cafe and coworking space, opened on Dec. 1 and debuted its “Jeff Goldbloomfield” mural. According to Axios, Pittsburgh artist Jeremy Raymer painted the 10-by-18-foot Goldblum mural, which appears on the cafe’s first floor. Billed as the neighborhood’s first coworking club, Creative Chem Co. includes a retro public cafe serving Commonplace Coffee on its first floor, and rentable members-only studios, meeting rooms, and quiet booths on the second floor. The space is now open Mon.-Fri. from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sat. from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Food delivered from Carmi Soul Food: Carmi Rolls, shrimp and grits, and fish stew Credit: CP photo: Lisa Cunningham
Carmi Soul Food/Carmi Express 1912 Federal St., North Side. carmirestaurant.com
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Carmi Soul Food Express announced it will close its final brick-and-mortar restaurant on Dec. 12.
“This decision comes with deep reflection, gratitude, and a heavy heart,” the North Side mainstay wrote on its Instagram page. “Carmi has always been more than a restaurant — it has been a place of family, comfort, celebration, and community.”
Owners Carleen and Michael King originally opened Carmi Soul Food on the North Side 13 years ago. The restaurant gained a reputation for its authentic Southern and soul food, including shrimp and grits and its famous mac and cheese, before moving its sit-down operations to the South Side in 2018. Carmi reopened its North Side location for “express takeout” during the pandemic, then closed its South Side restaurant in Jan. 2024, part of a strategy to “divest” from indoor dining and move to a take-out only model.
The closure announcement stated Carmi will continue its catering operations, special events, and pop-ups.
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7 Brew Coffee 
Food delivered from Carmi Soul Food: Carmi Rolls, shrimp and grits, and fish stew 
