Raiders' Maxx Crosby: Aaron Rodgers is going to have big year
March 5 - Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said quarterback Aaron Rodgers is ready to return with a flourish, and he is hopeful that it comes with the four-time NFL MVP wearing silver and black.
The star pass rusher defended Rodgers Tuesday on own podcast, "The Rush with Maxx Crosby."
"First year after an Achilles is one of the hardest things to do," Crosby said. "I think with all the doubt, all the negativity around Aaron Rodgers, 'Oh, he needs to retire,' things like that, he's getting cut by the Jets, I think he's going to come back and have a -- I know he's 42 or 41, but I think he's going to have a big year this year, and I hope it's in our town. That would be legendary."
The Jets informed Rodgers last month that they are moving on without him.
Last season, Rodgers rebounded to start all 17 games but the Jets finished only 5-12. He completed 63.0 percent of his passes for 3,897 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
"I think this year, fully healthy, full offseason, my prediction is he's going to have a great year," Crosby said.
Rodgers spent 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers before moving on to the Jets. The future Pro Football Hall of Fame member ranks in the top 10 in NFL history in many statistical categories.
He is first in passer rating (102.6), fifth in career touchdown passes (503), and seventh in both pass completions (5,369) and passing yards (62,952).
The Raiders used journeyman Gardner Minshew and second-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell last season. New coach Pete Carroll is expected to seek a veteran signal-caller.
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BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Farewell tour or Super Bowl run? What Rodgers deal means for Steelers
When Aaron Rodgers arrived at the New York Jets in 2023, he joked about their sole Super Bowl trophy "looking lonely".The Jets went all in on the NFL's four-time Most Valuable Player, who was expected to transform them into championship vibe was very different on the veteran quarterback's first day with the Pittsburgh Steelers on played down talk of a Super Bowl run while head coach Mike Tomlin said "we'll make no bold predictions".And that seems to suit Rodgers just fine as the 41-year-old prepares for his 21st and possibly last season in the NFL. Why has Rodgers chosen to keep playing? After being released following a disappointing second season with the Jets, Rodgers spent months considering his future and said in April that "retirement could still be a possibility".He has chosen to play on but not for his football legacy. In 18 years with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers ensured he will head into the Hall of Fame as one of the NFL's greatest winning the 2011 championship, a second Super Bowl ring has eluded him, but Rodgers said on Tuesday that challenging for another is not his main is not money either. His one-year deal with Pittsburgh is worth $13.65m (£10m) - one of the NFL's lowest annual salaries among guaranteed starting still feels fit enough too. Rodgers' first season with the Jets was written off by a torn Achilles but he started every game in his second and currently "feels good" kept the Steelers waiting because he needed time to deal with his personal life, which he revealed on Tuesday included getting married. Now he is ready to focus on football again."For my ego, I don't need to keep playing," he said. "A lot of decisions I've made over my career and life from strictly the ego - even if they turn out well - are always unfulfilling."But the decisions made from the soul are usually pretty fulfilling, so this was a decision that was best for my soul. This is about the love for the game." Why did the Steelers want Rodgers? Pittsburgh have struggled at quarterback since two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 Fields and Russell Wilson shared the role last season, and despite a positive start, the Steelers lost their last five games and bowed out in the first round of the then left - Fields replaced Rodgers at the Jets - while the Steelers brought in back-ups Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, and sixth-round draft pick Will still needed an obvious, experienced starter, and they left the door open for Rodgers, who remained in regular contact with coach felt Rodgers had too much of a say in who the Jets recruited and how they played, but he showed some humility on his first day with the Steelers, saying he believes in Tomlin."I just want to be a servant leader here, pass on the knowledge I have, and try to fit in with the guys," he is the NFL's oldest active player and will replace Roethlisberger as the Steelers' oldest-ever trying several quarterback options in recent years, Tomlin is ready to put his trust in Rodgers' experience and leadership. "Read his resume," he said. Are the Steelers now Super Bowl contenders? Strong defences have played a major part in Pittsburgh's six Super Bowl wins and that remains a hallmark of the current Steelers made a big move on offence in March by trading for Seattle receiver DK Metcalf, who trained with Rodgers in the off-season, but they then allowed both their leading receiver and running back from last season to leave - George Pickens and Najee winning back-to-back MVPs in 2020 and 2021, Rodgers' stats have been in decline but ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith said: "He's still got a little something left and it's going to be better than anything we've seen in recent memory. Give them a chance".Ryan Clark, who played in Pittsburgh's last Super Bowl success in 2009, said that Rodgers is "an upgrade but no longer elite" and that his arrival is "the worst-case scenario".He and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believe the Steelers will not make an impact in the play-offs but will "not be bad enough" to secure an early pick in next year's draft, meaning they will miss out on a potential franchise is the NFL's longest-serving current head coach and the team has not had a losing record in his 18 seasons in charge, however, Pittsburgh have not won a play-off game since three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes was drafted by AFC rivals Kansas City in Pittsburgh can emerge from arguably the NFL's toughest division and gain a long-awaited play-off win, surely the Tomlin-Rodgers pairing would be deemed a success. Potential farewell tour features Dublin date Rodgers said in his documentary on Netflix last year that "I don't feel like I need to prove anything to anybody but myself".But if this is to be his final year in the NFL, the schedule has provided plenty of opportunities to get the last laugh against his friends and Steelers visit the Jets in week one and host Ireland's first NFL game on 28 September against the Minnesota Vikings, rivals of Green Bay and one of three teams that spoke with Rodgers in the welcome the Packers in week eight and the Steelers will visit both of Green Bay's other divisional rivals, Chicago and of the NFL's best quarterbacks are in Pittsburgh's division, the AFC North, so Rodgers could play two games against both Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati), and he is set to face last season's MVP, Josh Allen (Buffalo)."I just want to have fun," Rodgers added. "I want to go out still knowing I can do it, playing good football, and if that comes with a championship win, fantastic."
The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Colorado coach Deion Sanders gives update on his health
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The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Aaron Rodgers went to Mike Tomlin's backyard cookout
The host? Mike Tomlin. Witnessing this energetic exchange was classic. The love exhibited between Rodgers and his new coach seemed so genuine. And what a fitting place for Rodgers to jump-start the process of acclimating to a new environment. The quarterback seemed laid-back, open and comfortable as he mingled with Tomlin and many of the guests for a few hours during the cookout. "That was so cool," Rodgers told USA TODAY Sports, reflecting on Tuesday during his debut at the opening of the Steelers minicamp. "Had a great time." Tomlin has hosted the event around this time on the calendar for several years, inviting staff, family and friends - and this year he doubled down on the top-shelf catering, adding BBQ to the usual Louisiana seafood fare - so Rodgers' timing was spot-on. And his presence may have had added significance when considering the weight that Rodgers, 41, put on his emerging relationship with Tomlin as a key factor for joining the Steelers. For the bulk of the offseason, as Rodgers sorted through myriad personal and professional matters, including retirement, he talked to Tomlin at least once per week. "The way that the conversations went between him and I, between whenever it was in March, through April and the last Sunday when I called him, was some of the coolest conversations I've had in the game. Definitely, with a head coach," Rodgers said during a post-practice press conference. "He's a big reason I'm here. I believe in him and am excited to play for him." Rodgers added that the vibe with Tomlin ultimately narrowed his process. "I think there were some conversations with other organizations, for sure, but the more that it fell in between me and Mike made it to where, as I was going through my personal stuff, there wasn't any other option," Rodgers said. "It was here or not play."Bonding with Tomlin undoubtedly is crucial to the potential for a positive Pittsburgh experience. Yet it is hardly the only key relationship that Rodgers wants to develop. His social calendar the past few days is proof of that intent. Rodgers followed the Tomlin cookout by attending an outing for players hosted by team captain Cam Heyward. "It's been good," Rodgers told USA TODAY Sports of his acclimation process. "It's exciting. I went to Cam's cookout on Sunday and then went to his golf tournament (on Monday)." At Heyward's event, which raised funds for his charity foundation, Rodgers was seen driving a golf cart while DK Metcalf rode shotgun. How fitting. Metcalf, the big-play receiver the Steelers acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in March, is Rodgers' most talented weapon. They need to bond. And they both know it. Metcalf worked out with Rodgers in Southern California earlier in the offseason. And Rodgers said the receiver has been "blowing up" his phone with text messages. Meanwhile, tight end Pat Freiermuth has connected with direct messages on social media. Rodgers and Freiermuth could make it to the U.S. Open golf tournament being staged at Oakmont, Pennsylvania, this weekend. Who is Aaron Rodgers' wife? What we know so far about Steelers QB's marriage Then there's the matter of football chemistry. Rodgers is looking to arrange workouts with skilled-position players during the five-week window between the end of minicamp and the July 23 report date for training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Details are TBD. But Rodgers, who has a home in Southern California, has the location covered. "I have to try and convince them to come out to Malibu, California," he said. Rodgers worked in conditioning and individual football drills during his first day at minicamp. His movement was fluid and his passes were tight and crisp. He offered to do more and participate in the team drills, but Tomlin nixed that idea. "June reps are a heck of a lot more important for a guy like Will Howard at this stage of his career than they are for a guy that's been doing it 20 years," Tomlin said, using the sixth-round rookie for a comparison. "So, whatever reps he gets, you take away from a guy like Will Howard. And we're trying to get this collective ready for training camp." In other words, now that Rodgers is in the fold, there's no need to push it at this point. Besides, he's still learning the offense. While the other quarterbacks took the snaps in team drills, Rodgers listened to play-calls on his helmet and followed plays on the practice script. He also spent time conversing with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Which brings to mind more acclimation. As Rodgers absorbs a new offense, Smith will be tasked tailor the scheme to his Hall of Fame-credentialed quarterback. Their ability to mesh will be crucial and invites scrutiny when considering the reported friction last season between Smith and another veteran quarterback, Russell Wilson. Rodgers, meanwhile, has long been regarded as having one of the NFL's sharpest minds - which leads to the expectation that he will get extensive leeway in a system. He pushed back a bit, though, when essentially asked on Tuesday if he needs to have the freedom to be able to take over an offense when he sees fit. "The idea that somehow I need to, or I've spent most of my career playing outside of an offensive system is just not correct," Rodgers said. "I'm going to learn the offense and Arthur and I are going to talk a bunch this summer and if there are some things that I like, that I'd like to see in the offense, Arthur, I'm sure, is going to put it in. But he knows how to call a game; I know how to get us in the right spot, based on what's called. There's two or plays called in the huddle sometimes. My job is to get us in the right play." Let Aaron cook? Stay tuned. This week, though, it's about cookouts and finding his way around the Steelers headquarters. MORE: Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers are desperate to win big again. They are a perfect match "Everything's new," Rodgers said. "It's like the first day of school. I don't know a lot of guys' names. They don't have names on the back of the jerseys here; they don't have names in the doors of the meeting rooms. So, I literally walk out of the locker room lost. I try to grab somebody, 'Hey, where am I going?' But I'm getting the feel of it." Rodgers' first day at minicamp included a message to his new teammates during a team meeting. After his extended period of contemplation before deciding to join the Steelers on a one-year contract, perhaps it was a message that needed to be expressed. Especially now, as Rodgers transitions to new chapter. "He just said he's all-in and ready to go," relayed second-year center Zach Frazier. A message that surely won't hurt in the acclimation process. Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell
