Mike McCarthy regrets sideline words toward Aaron Rodgers after Browns loss

Mike McCarthy said he regretted his choice of words during a heated sideline exchange with Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh’s 27–24 loss to Cleveland on Thursday.

The Steelers coach addressed the exchange afterward, when asked about footage from an unsettled opening series. Rodgers had been heard urging the sideline to get a play called.

“But any negative communication on my part, I wish I wouldn’t use those words,” McCarthy said, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

McCarthy said the early communication became hurried. In comments reported by CBS News Pittsburgh, he said the process improved after the drive that produced a touchdown.

“I thought the communication was solid,” McCarthy said.

Rodgers pointed to the noise in Cleveland when discussing the difficulty getting calls.

“It was loud,” Rodgers said, according to ESPN.

The quarterback said some calls were difficult to hear, CBS reported. Neither those remarks nor McCarthy’s explanation established a broader dispute between the quarterback and coach.

Rodgers finished with 299 passing yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Cleveland sacked him five times and recorded 10 quarterback hits, according to the NFL’s game report.

The Steelers’ second-half comeback was not enough to overturn the result. Andre Szmyt’s late field goal gave Cleveland the lead, and Grant Delpit intercepted Rodgers’ final passing attempt before the Browns ran out the clock.

For the scoring sequence and finish, read our Browns–Steelers recap.