Bradshaw: Steelers should leave Rodgers to ‘chew on bark and whisper to gods'
Terry Bradshaw, the quarterback who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to four Super Bowl titles, has given a withering assessment of the team's pursuit of Aaron Rodgers.
'That's a joke. That to me is just a joke,' Bradshaw said in a radio interview with 103.7 The Buzz in Arkansas on Tuesday. 'What are you going to do? Bring him in for one year, are you kidding me?'
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Bradshaw then appeared to allude to Rodgers's alternative beliefs, such as his use of ayahuasca.
'That guy needs to stay in California,' said Bradhsaw. 'Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there.'
Related: Aaron Rodgers keeping options open: 'Dealing with a lot off the field'
The 41-year-old Rodgers parted ways with the New York Jets earlier this year, and has been linked to the Steelers, who are without an established starter at quarterback. But Rodgers has given mixed signals about whether he wants to continue his career.
'I'm in a different phase of my life,' Rodgers said in April. 'To make a commitment to a team is a big thing. And I don't think it's fair to the Steelers or anyone while I'm dealing with a lot off the field.'
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Rodgers' tenure with the Jets was brief and rocky. After a torn achilles ended his 2023 debut after just four snaps, he returned in 2024 to start all 17 games. Though he threw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns, the Jets finished just 5-12, and Rodgers ranked outside the top 25 in most efficiency metrics. The team sputtered to a 3-7 record in one-score games.
Bradshaw was also dismissive of the way the Steelers treated Kenny Pickett, the quarterback they drafted with the No 22 overall pick in 2022 before treading him to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.
'I liked Kenny Pickett,' Bradshaw said. 'I liked him at Pitt. I know him, I know what he's like. When they got him to Pittsburgh, they didn't protect him, they didn't get him an offensive line. They wanted to run the football, but they didn't have an offensive line that could protect and they didn't have weapons. He had no wide receivers to speak of.
'Then they throw a kid in there for two years, and you've got an offense that doesn't fit and doesn't work, and they can't run because their offensive line's not even good enough for a run-blocking team. Now, they're saying Kenny Pickett is a failure. He wasn't a failure, the Steelers were a failure.'
Bradshaw played 14 seasons for the Steelers and was named NFL MVP in 1978. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and has built a successful broadcasting career since his retirement from playing.
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