Jimmy Traina didn’t mince words while watching First Take put Jordan Rodgers on the spot to break down his own brother’s rough start in Pittsburgh. To him, the segment wasn’t sports analysis; it was forced, uncomfortable television. He said bluntly, dismissing it as an awkward kind of moment rather than letting it pass as just another debate-show segment.
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“I’m not going to blame Jordan Rodgers for this. Whoever is in charge of the segment and in charge of First Take should take the hit for making him talk about his brother. This is embarrassing and cringe,” Jimmy Traina posted on X.
On First Take this past Wednesday, Jordan Rodgers sat down and talked about how his brother Aaron has looked through the first couple of weeks of the 2026 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jordan tried to stay fair while still defending him.
“I think if you truly watched Week 1, this was a team that was a few drops and a few drops away from being absolutely explosive like we haven’t seen out of the Steelers in a really long time,” he said. “Rodgers was actually very accurate down the field. The throws that were not completed because of either a non-call or a drop down the field were on the money. Not trying to be a homer.”
The stats tell a rougher story, though. Aaron currently ranks as the third-worst quarterback on PFN’s NFL Quarterback Impact Metric. He’s completed just 59.5% of his passes for 408 yards, one touchdown, and an interception in two games. He’s also been sacked six times for a league-leading 58 yards, which hasn’t helped a Steelers offense that’s already struggling to move the ball.
Still, Jordan wasn’t ready to write him off.
“They can’t run the football, which doesn’t help, and no one can catch right now… I think they’ll get better, patience,” he added, which got some laughs from the rest of the panel.
This is Aaron’s 22nd season in the league and his second with Pittsburgh.
Things got even more interesting when the talk shifted to Aaron’s reunion with head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy coached Aaron for more than a decade in Green Bay, including their Super Bowl XLV win in 2011, before things between them got strained.
Jordan compared it to getting back with an old flame.
“The other aspect that I think is still a feeling-out process, Rodgers and McCarthy are like that ex you ended up getting back together with after a long time,” he said. “You’re like, ‘Things are better. We’re different people. We’re still trying to figure out those quirks we had when we were in a relationship.’ So I think they’re still trying to figure out who they want to be based on what they both are capable of in this second iteration of their relationship. I think that’s going to take time.”
Jordan was never going to trash his own brother on live TV. The real question is why ESPN put him there at all. That’s where Jimmy Traina’s take carries weight. A former Sports Illustrated columnist, he called the segment forced and awkward, blaming the show’s producers, not Jordan.
Fans felt the same way, with one bluntly summing up the sentiment: “ESPN putting Aaron Rodgers’ brother on to analyze Aaron Rodgers is broadcasting malpractice. Woof.”
So, did ESPN cross a line here, or is this just business as usual for debate TV?