Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers offers subtle support for 'Hall of Fame' OLB T.J. Watt
T.J. Watt's contract woes continue to keep him away from the Steelers — but Aaron Rodgers is ready to put this situation behind the team.
On Tuesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers discussed what has him excited to play for the Steelers — and also commented on Watt's contract situation while praising his leadership:
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"I think that's the thing that's really exciting about Pittsburgh, is the built-in leadership that already exists there," Rodgers said. "Once we get our Hall of Fame outside rush-backer signed, you're talking about another guy who's a leader — not just by his example, but by his words."
Watt, who's looking to become one of the NFL's highest-paid defenders, was noticeably absent from Steelers OTAs and mandatory minicamp — but Rodgers clearly has the "Hall of Fame" defender's back as July's training camp inches closer.
Will the Steelers grant Rodgers' Watt-sized wish, or will the former 2021 Defensive Player of the Year continue his holdout into training camp and beyond?
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers' T.J. Watt receives support from Aaron Rodgers
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NFL offseason power rankings: No. 24 Indianapolis Colts have even more Anthony Richardson uncertainty
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"It's gotta be the right guy to create real competition," Ballard said this offseason, via the team's site. "But we want to create real competition. I think it's good for the team; I think it's good for Anthony." Advertisement The competition might never materialize, and not because Richardson has put to rest all concerns about his viability as an NFL starter. Richardson missed June minicamp with a shoulder injury. He sought a second opinion, which usually isn't a great sign. The Colts couldn't commit to him being ready for training camp. Jones might win the job by default. This is how the Richardson story has gone for the Colts. There have been a few highlights. There have been many more frustrations over his ineffectiveness as a passer, and setbacks due to injuries. If the Colts get to camp and Richardson is missing practice, limited when he does practice or compromised by his shoulder, it's hard to believe head coach Shane Steichen (who is on the hot seat) would gamble his job on a quarterback who is unable to show tangible progress before the season starts. The Colts were 8-9 last season, but it seemed like they were much worse due to the Richardson issue. Richardson was benched early in the season, and got his job back only because Joe Flacco was bad too. Richardson's completion percentage for the season was 47.7%. The only other quarterbacks since 1988 with at least 250 attempts and a completion percentage under 48% are Stan Gelbaugh, Heath Shuler, Craig Whelihan, Akili Smith and Tim Tebow. Richardson was 12.9% worse in completion percentage than any other quarterback that had 250 attempts last season. Tua Tagovailoa led the NFL in completion percentage at 72.9%; Richardson would have had to complete 245 passes in a row last season to match that. Despite all that, the Colts were close to a .500 team. Advertisement [Get more Colts news: Colts team feed] Quarterback play, whether it's Richardson's progress or Jones' ability to turn his career around, is the key issue hovering over the Colts going into this season. The Colts won eight games even with a team passer rating of 75.8, which was 31st in the NFL. There's plenty of talent on offense, like running back Jonathan Taylor, receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and new rookie tight end Tyler Warren. The defense was good enough to keep the Colts in games. Steichen might be a good coach, just one that hasn't been able to fix Richardson's problems. But it's hard to get excited for the Colts if the quarterback play is near the bottom again. Plenty is riding on Richardson or Jones playing well this season. 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The Colts (+300) are tied with the Jaguars for the second-best odds to win the AFC South at BetMGM, but their season will likely come down to whether Richardson or Jones can take the next step forward under center. The Colts are strong favorites (-210) to miss the playoffs again." Yahoo's fantasy take From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Tyler Warren was a catch machine his final year at Penn State, securing 101 passes for 1,233 yards. And we've seen rookie tight ends make a fantasy splash in each of the last two seasons. But Warren's onboarding with the Colts might be a bumpy one, given the limitations of quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. There's also a crowding issue, as Indianapolis has a number of capable pass-catchers in the wide receiver room. Warren's tight end ADP has risen to TE13 in Yahoo rooms, too optimistic for me." Stat to remember The Colts weren't particularly great at anything last season, but they were a top-10 rushing team. 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an hour ago
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The first round of the NBA Draft is in the books
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an hour ago
- Yahoo
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the running backs
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