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Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers
GREEN BAY − Aaron Rodgers is not hanging up the cleats just yet. The future Hall of Fame quarterback will play for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2025 season, according to several reports. Rodgers, 41, agreed to a one-year deal to play for the one of the NFL's historic franchises. The former Green Bay Packers star will get a chance to play against his old team when the Steelers host the Packers in a Week 8 night game Oct. 26. Advertisement Buy our Aaron Rodgers book Before signing with the Steelers, Rodgers gave no clear sign of his future plans. In an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast last month, Rodgers said people close to him are battling health issues. "I've been in the weeds with these people who are close to me that have cancer," Rodgers told Rogan. This comes a month after Rodgers made comments on the Pat McAfee Show explaining the reason for his delay in signing with a team was taking time to deal with 'off-the-field stuff." 'I am trying to be open to everything and not specifically attached to anything when it comes to this decision,' Rodgers said to McAfee. 'I'm just going through a lot in my personal life that has to take precedent at this point." Advertisement Rodgers, surely a lock as a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer, will don the black and yellow looking to prove he can still compete at a high level as he enters his 21st season in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers gets a chance at redemption The legend of Rodgers grew from his 18-year career with the Green Bay Packers. A first-round pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Cal, Rodgers was selected as the future replacement for Brett Favre. After three years as Favre's backup, Rodgers took the reins as the Packers starter in 2008 and never looked back. Check out: Netflix documentary unveils side of Brett Favre many fans would rather not know about Advertisement During his time as the starter, he won Super Bowl XLV and was the game's MVP. Ironically, Rodgers won his first and only ring beating the Steelers 31-25. He's a four-time NFL MVP (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021) and just the fifth player to win the award in consecutive seasons. Known for his clutch plays and efficient playmaking, Rodgers ranks first on the NFL's all-time regular-season career passing rating list with at 102.6. After a remarkable run in Green Bay, the past two seasons with the New York Jets were less than stellar. Rodgers signed with the Jets in April 2023 and his first season in New York ended as quickly as it started. Making his debut in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football at MetLife Stadium, Rodgers suffered an Achilles tendon rupture on just his fourth snap after taking a sack from Leonard Floyd. He underwent surgery and was placed on injured reserve, missing the entire season. Rodgers returned to action in 2024, but it was a tumultuous season. Jets head coach Robert Saleh was fired after five games. General manager Joe Douglas also was fired in late November. The Jets finished the year 5-12, the most losses for Rodgers in a season as a starter. A look at the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers The Steelers are searching for answers at quarterback. The team went 10-7 in 2024 and lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC wild-card round. Advertisement Last season, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields competed for the starting job with Wilson eventually winning out. During free agency this offseason, Wilson signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants. Fields had joined the Jets on a two-year deal. Pittsburgh drafted Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth round of this year's draft and added Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson during the offseason. The Steelers are one of the best organizations in all pro sports but searching for their first AFC championship since 2010 and Super Bowl since 2008. Rodgers gets his shot to end his career on a high note. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aaron Rodgers to sign with Pittsburgh Steelers, continuing NFL career
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Steal for the Vikings becomes first-round pick in 2008 NFL Re-Draft
Steal for the Vikings becomes first-round pick in 2008 NFL Re-Draft The PFF re-draft series has been a lot of fun to follow, and now they have worked their way to the 2008 NFL Draft. Minnesota did not have a first-round pick in 2008 due to them sending it to Kansas City for Jared Allen, a move they would look back on and have no issue making 100 times over. Allen will be enshrined in Canton, Ohi,o as a Pro Football Hall of Famer as a Viking in August this year and became a generational pass rusher during his time with the team. What we do want to mention is that the Vikings' sixth-round pick, John Sullivan, makes a dramatic leap into the first round in this re-draft. Sullivan makes it all the way up to pick 26 where he ends up with the Jacksonville Jaguars. PFF writes, "Former sixth-round pick John Sullivan gave the Vikings incredible value during his six seasons as their starting center. His production peaked from 2011 to 2013, when he ranked second in the NFL with a 90.8 PFF overall grade — bested by only Houston's Chris Myers." Sullivan was the ultimate value for the Vikings and was underappreciated during his time with the team. He may not have gotten the respect league-wide he deserved, but Vikings fans know the stability he brought, and now he gets that in this re-draft exercise.
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
4 former Patriots players make All-PFF Team for last 25 Years
4 former Patriots players make All-PFF Team for last 25 Years Four New England Patriots players made the All-Pro Football Focus Team, featuring the best players over the last 25 years. Quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski, offensive guard Logan Mankins and cornerback Darrelle Revis all made the list. Brady and his accomplishments speak for themselves. The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback is a 15-time Pro Bowler and a six-time All-Pro. He is widely considered one of the greatest players of all time after finishing his career with 251 regular season wins and 35 postseason victories. Gronkowski is arguably the greatest tight end of all time with four Super Bowl titles to his name. He finished his career with 9,286 receiving yards and 92 touchdowns. Revis only appeared in one season with the Patriots, and the team managed to end a 10-year Super Bowl drought with him on the roster. He is one of the greatest corners of all time and a current Pro Football Hall of Famer. Meanwhile, Mankins is a six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler, along with being a member of the Patriots' All-Dynasty Team. He was recently a candidate for the Patriots Hall of Fame. So many great talents contributed to the Patriots' historic dynasty. Each of these players is among the best to ever play the game, and their appearance on this list is proof that the NFL world hasn't forgotten. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rams DB says Matthew Stafford is 'easily a Hall of Famer'
Rams DB says Matthew Stafford is 'easily a Hall of Famer' Matthew Stafford has always put up big numbers during his NFL career, but he and the Detroit Lions struggled to find much success as a team during his decade-plus in the Motor City. Since being traded to the Los Angeles Rams, however, Stafford has won a Super Bowl and five total playoff games, reaching the postseason three times in four years – the same number of playoff appearances he had in 12 years with the Lions. With one Super Bowl ring already on his finger and the possibility of winning one more, Stafford is building a case as a future Hall of Famer. The stats rival many of the quarterbacks already in Canton, but he only has two Pro Bowl selections and no All-Pro nods. Rams defensive back Quentin Lake still believes Stafford has done enough in his career to eventually earn a spot in Canton as a Pro Football Hall of Famer – and he doesn't think there's much doubt about it. "Oh, 100%. Easily, easily a Hall of Famer,' Lake said in an interview with TMZ Sports. '… I have no doubt in my mind that he'll be wearing a gold jacket whenever he retires. Got a Super Bowl, has had a fantastic career, great father, great teammate. In my mind, no doubt about it, he'll be a Hall of Famer.' Part of the reason Lake thinks Stafford will make the Hall of Fame one day is the way he makes everything look so easy on the field, from deep balls to no-look passes. Many even credit him with making no-look throws popular among quarterbacks, pulling them off at a remarkably high rate. 'There's a nickname that goes around that I've heard that makes a lot of sense. It's 'Mr. Long Handoffs' because his throws deep down the field are like handoffs,' Lake said. 'It's regular, it's routine and honestly, the thing I call him is 'Mr. No-look', as well. Not only does he have the arm talent, but he can manipulate – especially me being on the defensive side – the way he manipulates the defense with his eyes. The stuff you see – so, like, Aaron Rodgers talked about it. Like, 'Oh, yeah. I got the no-look from Matthew Stafford.' He does it consistently in practice all the time. For us, it's like, 'Oh, that's just regular. We see that all the time.' It's a skill. It's a legitimate skill that he practices, which is so cool. And it keeps us honest.' It remains to be seen how much longer Stafford will play in the NFL, whether it's one, two, three or maybe even four more years. The Rams don't know and he likely doesn't have an answer, either. But if he can make the playoffs a few more times and even reach a Super Bowl, he'll have a case for Canton.
Mint
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Mint
Giants 1st-round pick Abdul Carter chooses No. 51 after headline-making search
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Abdul Carter tackled his first big task in the NFL — choosing a jersey number. After a search that made some headlines, the New York Giants' first-round pick is wearing No. 51 with the team, which took the field for the start of its rookie minicamp Friday. 'I feel good,' Carter said. 'I feel like it's going to have to grow on me a little bit, but it's feeling good right now.' That came after Carter's request to wear the retired No. 56 of Lawrence Taylor was nixed by the Pro Football Hall of Famer, who was honored but urged the third overall pick of the draft to create a legacy with his own number. 'He has to be the player that he is,' Taylor told ESPN two weeks ago. 'He can't be another Lawrence Taylor. Well, he may be better than a Lawrence Taylor, who knows? But he has to make his mark. It's up to him.' Carter wore No. 11 at Penn State — but that number is also retired by the Giants in honor of quarterback Phil Simms. The two-time Super Bowl winner said during a recent interview with FanDuel that he was open to having Carter wear his No. 11, but Simms' family decided against it. So that had Carter still searching for a number, which was finally revealed along with those of the rest of the Giants rookies shortly before minicamp practice kicked off. 'Pretty much what we had available,' he said. 'It was a good number.' And, perhaps not so coincidentally, the No. 51 combines the two numbers — 56 and 11 — Carter was considering the past few weeks. 'It's pretty much set,' Carter said, indicating he won't be changing it anytime soon. 'I'm just happy to be out here playing football. That's all I'm worried about.' It's also all the Giants are concerned about. In Carter, they see a player who should be able to make an immediate impact on the field and complement a pass rush that already has Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns. 'Yeah, I feel like it really hit me today,' Carter said. 'Being out here playing football, working with the guys, just being on the field, like, I'm here. I made it to NFL, but I've also got to keep putting the work in and working. But I'm loving it.' Carter was originally a traditional linebacker during his first two seasons at Penn State before moving to defensive end last year. The move paid off as the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter's athleticism and elite first step off the ball immediately made him one of college football's most dominant pass rushers. He led the country with 23 1/2 tackles for loss and had 12 sacks last season. 'My impressions of him is great,' said defensive tackle Darius Alexander, the Giants' third-round pick out of Toledo. 'I like the way he moves. I like the way he plays. I like the way he approached the game, so me and him been talking a little bit. We're going to definitely get out there.' Carter looked comfortable throughout his first NFL practice, going through drills on defense and special teams. He then playfully danced to music playing in the background while talking to fourth-round running back Cam Skattebo on the side during breaks in the action. 'I like having fun out here,' Carter said. 'When I'm out here with the pads on, with my helmet on, I feel like that's where I'm at my best. I don't know, I just fit in the most on the field, just being out here having fun.' Carter also got a kick out of Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan watching practice and then breaking down the huddle at the end. And something the former Giants defensive end said stuck with the young pass rusher. 'I would just say just speaking about the Giants history, knowing how much we've (won), knowing the history, the championships we've (gotten),' he said. 'And I just want to be a part of bringing that legacy back. Just bringing that greatness back to New York.'
