Terry Bradshaw Rips Aaron Rodgers and Calls Steelers a 'Joke' for Considering the Quarterback: 'Go Chew on Bark'
Terry Bradshaw slammed the Pittsburgh Steelers' ongoing pursuit of Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers, 41, has mulled retirement while remaining noncommittal to the Steelers
Bradshaw played 14 seasons with the team during the 1970s and 1980s
Terry Bradshaw had some strong words for his former team amid its ongoing courtship of free agent Aaron Rodgers.
The retired Hall of Fame quarterback, who played all 14 of his NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, called his former team's pursuit of Rodgers, 41, 'a joke.'
'That's a joke,' Bradshaw, 76, said during an interview with local KABZ in Little Rock, Ark. 'That is just, to me, is a joke. What are you gonna do? Bring him in for one year? Are you kidding me?'
Bradshaw, who was the Steelers' starting quarterback during the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s, added: 'That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there.'
Advertisement
Rodgers remains an unsigned free agent this week as teams around the league have started its first leg of training camps for next season. The Steelers, who opted not to resign quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, are without a proven starting quarterback. Rodgers, who last played with the New York Jets in 2024, opted not to resign with his old team either.
The pairing has seemed destined, but heavily delayed as Rodgers has also publicly mulled over the possibility of retiring from the NFL after 20 seasons.
A once Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers' on-field performance has severely declined in recent years amid injury and off-the-field career moves. Rodgers recently appeared in a Netflix docuseries about his life and also contemplated becoming Robert F. Kennedy's running mate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Meanwhile, during his last two seasons with the Jets, Rodgers' use of hallucinogenic drug retreats and his absence from team workouts in the summertime have led to criticism as his results on the field waned.
David Buchan/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
"I'm in a different phase of my life," Rodgers explained on The Pat McAfee Show last month. "I'm 41 years old, I'm in a serious relationship. I have off-the-field stuff going on that requires my attention. I have personal commitments I made not knowing what my future was going to look like after last year, that are important to me."
Advertisement
Rodgers argued that he isn't 'holding anybody hostage' with his indecision about playing next season, as the Steelers appear to be waiting to hear back. The Chico, Calif., native also said 'retirement still could be a possibility, but right now my focus has been and will continue to be on my personal life."
The PEOPLE App is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more!
John Lamparski/Getty Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Meanwhile, Bradshaw appeared to direct most of his frustration towards the Steelers' inability to grow a young quarterback since Ben Rothlisberger's 18-year run with the team.
Advertisement
"I liked Kenny Pickett," Bradshaw told KABZ about the team's former quarterback. "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.'
Bradshaw continued: "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."
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ex-Buffalo Bills Receiver Meeting With AFC Rival
Ex-Buffalo Bills Receiver Meeting With AFC Rival originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Buffalo Bills have had a lot of question marks at wide receiver over the past few years. The Bills have had more than a few costly departures, from brought in talent such as Stephon Diggs and homegrown talent such as Gabe Davis. Advertisement Davis was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Bills. In his four seasons in Buffalo, Davis tallied 2,730 yards and 27 touchdowns. The Bills did not extend Davis beyond his rookie deal, leading to him signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars on a three-year, $39 million contract. Davis struggled in Jacksonville's offense, only catching 20 of his 42 targets and posting 239 yards and two touchdowns. Davis' season was cut short by a torn meniscus in his left knee, only playing in 10 games. The Jaguars released Davis after the season, and he is currently looking for a new home: a home, reportedly, also in the AFC. Advertisement ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Davis is taking a meeting with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday. "Sources: Former Bills and Jaguars WR Gabe Davis is scheduled to travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday to visit with the Steelers on Thursday." Schefter posted on X. The Steelers are looking to add playmakers and pass catchers, and Davis is as good of a bounce-back candidate as they can get. "Pittsburgh has been seeking additional receiving help and has inquired about, but is not expected to trade for, Miami TE Jonnu Smith." Shefter added. Davis earned the nickname "Big Game Gabe" during his tenure in Buffalo. He had a number of standout performances for the Bills, namely in the playoffs. Advertisement In the Bills' overtime thriller against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 AFC Divisional Round, Davis was the star of the game, despite the loss. Davis tallied 201 yards and four touchdowns on just eight receptions, having one of the greatest playoff performances in Bills' history. His heroics in the divisional game marked just the ninth time a player has recorded 200+ receiving yards in a playoff game, and the first time a receiver has hauled in four touchdowns. Related: Bills Signing Josh Allen to New $330 Million Contract About To Pay Off Related: Bills' Josh Allen And Hailee Steinfeld Wedding Guest List Revealed This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
St. Louis plans $30M, Missouri $100M for tornado relief. How will they spend it?
ST. LOUIS – Three weeks after a devastating tornado tore through St. Louis, destroying thousands of homes and buildings, urgency is growing to secure the financial support needed to recover and rebuild. It remains unclear when and how much federal aid may be available for St. Louis. However, on a local and state level, two plans are gaining momentum to help mobilize major funding for recovery efforts. Those plans – one from the City of St. Louis and one from the State of Missouri – aim to inject tens of millions of dollars, upwards of nine figures, into the recovery process. If both plan are ultimately approved, how will the money be used to aid St. Louis in tornado recovery? To extents, that's still to be determined, but the city's and state's new bills offer some early clues. Proposed through St. Louis Board Bill 31 (Primary sponsor: Megan Green) On Friday, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen formally introduced Board Bill 31, which calls to allocate $30 million from the the NFL Rams relocation settlement toward a 'tornado relief and recovery fund.' The fund would be maintained by the city treasurer and exclusively available toward services and resources considered part of the tornado recovery effort. 'Eligible uses' under the bill include: Providing services to 'prevent homelessness and displacement' for homeowners impacted by the tornado, such as home repairs, temporary housing, help with insurance deductibles and storage of personal belongings. Repairing tornado-damaged public infrastructure, such as streets, sidewalks, water systems, lighting and trees. Providing residents with financial and legal support through an 'Impacted Tenants Fund.' Matching funds for federal or state grants tie to infrastructure and housing recovery. Providing money to nonprofits for critical tornado-response gaps in staffing, shelter, technology and warehousing. Procuring goods and services eligible for FEMA reimbursement. Compensating city staff and administrative costs related to disaster response (capped at 5% of fund annually) The bill aims to prioritize underinsured or uninsured households. It also outlines 26 neighborhoods or landmarks as 'impacted areas' eligible for assistance through the relief fund, mainly in northside and westside neighborhoods. The bill expresses that the aid must be used to help impacted people, properties or public infrastructure and may not be used for personal expenses. Proposed through Missouri 2025 Special Session Senate Bill 1 (Primary sponsor: Lincoln Hough) At the state level, lawmakers have proposed $100 million for a Missouri 'disaster relief fund,' a key component to a broader $360 million emergency spending package (Senate Bill 1) passed by the Missouri Senate on Thursday amid the ongoing special legislative session. The bill authorizes the Missouri Department of Public Safety to distribute funds to 'any city not within a county' – a phrase that applies solely to the City of St. Louis – for disaster-related expenses. Though the bill doesn't outline exact uses, it ties funding to Gov. Mike Kehoe's request for a presidential disaster declaration. Kehoe's request includes FEMA individual assistance to support temporary housing, housing repairs, and replacement of damaged property and vehicles, among other things. With that in mind, it's possible the $100 million could cover the following such services or resources: Emergency response Cleanup and debris remobal Housing, shelter and storage assistance Infrastructure repairs Out-of-pocket expenses related to storm damage The funds would be available for use between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026 and must comply with Missouri constitutional guidelines for emergency expenditures. The broader spending package would also authorize $25 million in emergency housing assistance, though that's not directly tied to the $100 million in tornado-specific funds. Both proposals – the city's and the state's – still need full approval. The St. Louis board bill would require a series or reviews and approvals from the Board of Aldermen and Mayor Cara Spencer. The Missouri special session bill still needs to clear the House before it could possibly be sent to Gov. Kehoe for review. With uncertainties on timing and dollars still looming with federal assistance, these local and state bills could represent some of the largest coordinated public investments in recovery since the May 16 St. Louis tornado. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Bengals Move Joe Burrow Schedule Amid Hendrickson Controversy
Maybe it's all a coincidence ... just like the Cincinnati Bengals having selected Texas A&M pass rusher Shemar Stewart in the 2025 NFL Draft had nothing to do with the foreshadowing the team's plan for current edge rusher Trey Hendrickson. But the timing of a new Joe Burrow move is certainly notable. Advertisement Hendrickson is desirous of a hefty contract extension with the Bengals after his fourth year in Cincy. He topped the NFL in sacks last year with 17.5, meeting that total now in back-to-back seasons. Is Cincy giving up on him? Doubtful. Even with the young addition in Stewart. But Cincy is pulling the plug on negotiations, Hendrickson is now claiming, adding that the Bengals essentially lied to him about their plans to up his salary. "The (contract) offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level,'' Hendrickson tells ESPN. "Coaches are aware of these past conversations.'' Advertisement And, as things have turned ugly, Bengals QB Joe Burrow - who has been vocal and supportive of the idea of management paying to keep the gang together - is in the news due to a schedule change. Burrow was initially scheduled to speak with local reporters on Tuesday. But in the wake of this statement from Hendrickson - maybe just coincidentally - the Bengals have told local reporters that they have pushed the press conference to Tuesday, May 20. Maybe by then ... the Hendrickson heat will have cooled? The player is asserting that the Bengals have shut down talks altogether. ... and he's obviously angry about it. Advertisement "Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating,'' he said. "I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that's hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals. The Athletic recently reported that things were moving in the right direction. That is clearly not quite accurate, as the claim that they are "getting really good vibes coming out of Cincy that they're going to try to get a deal done with Trey'' does not jibe at all with this news. Like he has done for past deals, quarterback Burrow is adding to the "good vibes" by campaigning to keep Hendrickson with the Bengals. Advertisement Cincinnati was able to sign Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. ... and Burrow would love to talk about those deals, no doubt. And eventually, he will. But not now. Maybe just due to a coincidence. Related: Hendrickson Releases Angry Statement As Bengals Fans Panic
