aaron-rodgers

THE STEELERS ARE LANDING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CRUSH 23 YEARS LATER

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I feel the Pittsburgh Steelers is like that guy that gets his high school dream gal decades later, who is now divorced and has a litter of kids. Even though we knew the hook up was going to happen at some point, finally the wait is over. Yes, Steel City finally gets that Hall of Fame QB they dreamed about after Big Ben Roethlisberger hung up the spikes for good. The Steelers will get Aaron Rodgers at the age of 41 years old, a guy who blew up the New York Jets franchise in the last two seasons with his own personality. Rodgers will get a one year deal from Pittsburgh worth 13.65 million. It’s a relationship between both parties that was neither one’s first choice. In the end they were stuck together like liver sausage and peanut butter. Trying to work out a combo that will not mix well together, like oil and water.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ first choice was trying to convince the LA Rams to give them their starting quarterback, Matthew Stafford. Multiple teams inquired about the availability this season on Stafford. In the end, the Rams were not giving up on the veteran quarterback who helped the Rams win a Superbowl a few seasons back. Then the Steelers tried to re-sign one of their own guys in Justin Fields, who they landed from the Chicago Bears in a trade in the off-season. The Steelers decided Fields was not enough and signed Russell Wilson as well. The 2024 regular season started off with Fields as the starter for the Steelers. Only reason he was the starter was because Wilson was dealing with an injury. After six games, Fields was 4-2 as the Steelers starter. He was looking good behind center. Wilson returned and Fields then was holding the clip board for the rest of the season. The Steelers then low balled Fields, who was a free agent with their offer. Fields took the better offer with the Jets and he will not have to look over his back as he has the keys to the car for the starting job with New York. The Steelers QB room was looking pathetic. They had a Miami Dolphins castoff, back up Skylar Thompson. They re-signed their former back up QB Mason Rudolf who left the Steelers for the Titans for one season. Then they drafted Will Howard in the 6th round in the 2025 NFL draft. Howard was the winning QB for Ohio State, who beat Notre Dame in the National Championship.

Aaron Rodgers’ first season with the Jets, in the very first game of the season, in the 1st quarter in 2023, suffered a season ending injury. On a sack by the Buffalo Bills defensive lineman, Leonard Floyd tackled Rodgers to the ground. He snapped his Achilles tendon and would miss the entire season. In his second season, Rodgers got the Jets head coach fired and the general manager. The Jets were so desperate for a quarterback, they gave into all of Rodgers’ demands while getting his guys on the team. The Jets front office brought in Rodgers’ receivers he has played with and coaches. In year two with the Jets, Rodgers had a 5-12 record as the Jets starter. He completed 63% of his passes for 3,897 passing yards with 28 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions. Rodgers was a cancer to the Jets organization, who once had one of the best defenses in the league and had some play-makers for the offense assembled. All they needed was a quarterback and they got Mr. Darkness, who never blamed himself for anything he did wrong. It was a mess in New York as they are still picking up the pieces right now.

Why did it take the Steelers and Aaron Rodgers to hook up when it was obvious? Some Steelers players thought Rodgers was holding the team hostage and leading them on until he found something better. Rodgers had been interested in playing for the Minnesota Vikings. If Rodgers did suit up for the Vikings, he would have followed in the same footsteps as Brett Farve did when he left the Packers for a bad year with the New York Jets then & helped the Vikings to the playoffs. The Vikings had a great record last year with Sam Darnold having his best year as a starting QB. He replaced the injured rookie, JJ McCarthy, who was injured in preseason and done for the entire year. Rodgers may have felt the Vikings would be a team he could help and at the same time get revenge against the Packers. The Vikings instead are giving the job to McCarthy, who they drafted in the first round in 2024. Rodgers said he did not sign with the Steelers until now for personal reasons. He has said he recently got secretly married and has not mentioned the woman’s name.

Maybe Aaron Rodgers met and married his new woman in the forest in one of his darkness retreats. Terry Bradshaw chimed in that Rodgers should stay in California where he is from, eat tree bark, and whisper to the Gods. Bradshaw, a former Steelers legend quarterback, thinks his former team is making a huge mistake by signing Rodgers. You’re not getting the Rodgers who won the Superbowl a very long time ago for the Packers. You’re not getting the guy who is a 10x Pro-Bowler. Rodgers has won multiple awards for one hell of a football career as he played 20 seasons already. Some think teaming up with Mike Tomlin, the Steelers legendary head coach, would prevent Rodgers becoming a cancer to the locker room. They think Tomlin would not allow Rodgers to ruin his team like the antics he pulled as a Jet the last two seasons. Rodgers is making mandatory practices for the Steelers wearing number 8.

He is in camp with his excuse of his new marriage. He already complained about his new helmet. Safety is sometimes uncomfortable. The Steelers have a solid defense. The Steelers can protect Rodgers better than the Jets. Besides from D.K Metcalf who the Steelers got from Seattle in a trade, who are his play-makers? The Steelers traded their nutcase wide receiver, George Pickens, to Dallas. Pickens had talent and Rodgers could have used him. The Steelers play in the same division as the Bengals and Ravens with top QBs like Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. The Browns have a defense and have a guy named Myles Garret who wants to add Rodgers to his Halloween cemetery. All the QBs he sacked over his career. That is a tough division Rodgers will be in. The Steelers have made the post-season the last few years, but they are one and done. What changes for the Steelers here? How are they going to get through the AFC gauntlet in general with teams like the Chiefs, Bills, Texans, and Broncos. First you have to find a way through the division before taking on one of those other teams in the AFC. Rodgers will break Brett Farve’s touchdown pass record this season, but the Steelers are probably not going anywhere. Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season. That time may come this season when you picked your poison and it’s Aaron Rodgers. The guy that didn’t know who you were at the prom. The Steelers crush will find out the hard way as Rodgers has been around the block. He may be infected from eating bad tree bark in the forest. They will learn you can not fire up the old 1980’s Camaro and expect a spin with that high school sweetheart in that angel stage. The Steelers are not getting that Packers star QB from back in the day. What’s left of that guy is a broken down old quarterback who gives off bad vibes and will take you down with him. Good luck Steelers, because you will need it this season.

THE NEW YORK JETS WILL BE FLYING IN AND OUT OF JUSTIN FIELD’S IN 2025

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The New York Jets can close the book on their darkness retreat chapters starring Aaron Rodgers. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood soured the Big Apple in New York as he single handedly burned down his own team taking the Jets franchise to nothing but a heap of smoldering ash. The Jets thought at the time they just needed a quarterback to get over the hump and signed Rogers after he left Green Bay kicking and screaming. It’s been two years of pure hell for J-E-T-S as now they can finally move on and try to put some distance between them and the Mr. Darkness retreat. The Jets in day one of free agency have found Rogers’ replacement by signing former number one pick from the Chicago Bears, Justin Fields. Fields gets a two year deal worth 40 million which 30 of that is guaranteed as he will be an expensive rebound for this fan base. This move also gives this Jets franchise a breath of air and a new start which they need right now.

Justin Fields is now 26 years of age and has 4 NFL seasons under his belt. Originally Fields was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 1st round of the 2021 NFL draft number 11 overall from Ohio State University. He has played three seasons in Chicago where he had his ups and downs. Last year in his lone season in Pittsburgh as a Steeler, he achieved his first winning record in a season as a starting NFL QB. He was traded to Pittsburgh and only started 6 games for the Steelers where he had a winning record of 4-2. He played in a total of 10 games for the Steelers where he completed 65.8% of his passes which is a career high for Fields. He tallied up 1,106 passing yards with 5 touchdown passes and only 1 interception. He started the season as the starter for the Steelers because the other QB Pittsburgh signed at the time was Russell Wilson who had an injury to start the year off then replaced him week 7.

It took three full seasons as a starter for Justin Fields to win 10 games as a starter for the Chicago Bears. Last year he almost won half of those starts that he won in less than half a season. Fields is a duel threat quarterback that can beat you with his legs more than his arm. He has a nice deep pass but always had problems throwing over the middle of the field. I always say once athletes leave the Chicago sports landscape, they do better. Fields has always turned over the ball with an interception or he’s very good at coughing up the football. His career numbers in 4 seasons he is 14-30 as a starting QB. He has a completion percentage of 61.2% and he has tallied 7,780 yards in the air and thrown 45 touchdown passes. However he has thrown 31 interceptions. He threw only one as a Steeler. With the legs he has rushed the ball 418 times for 2,509 rushing yards with 19 rushing touchdowns. With the Bears he went through coaches and offensive coordinators like changing your underwear on a daily basis. In Chicago he had the turn style offensive line. With the Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin, he changed his game and made less mistakes. He definitely had better protection. His turnover rate as a Steeler averaged out to 0.8% in 2024. From 2021-23 with the Bears, Fields averaged an NFL turnover rate of 2.8%. He has been careful with the ball in Pittsburgh. With the Bears he was the worst QB taking the sack. From 2021-23 he was sacked with a 12.4% sack rate. With the Steelers he cut that sack rate down to 9%. During those six games he started, the Steelers offense were averaging 20.7 points per game. The Jets would have loved to have 20.7 points per game as they did not get that with Aaron Rodgers last year.

The New York Jets pick at number 7 in this April’s draft may not get them one of the top two QB’s on the board. The Jets are in need of a future franchise quarterback. They have failed before at developing former number one picks they have selected such as Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson. Darnold finally had his best year in a Vikings uniform last season. Darnold may be a late bloomer while Wilson looks like the next Ryan Leaf. If the Jets are going to select a quarterback in this upcoming draft, they need to develop him. The best plan may be to have the guy stand on the sidelines with a clipboard and learn. Justin Fields may be a bridge gap QB for the Jets. Fields could also showcase his own talents and improve his game on the field to ultimately get a bigger deal elsewhere. However if luck is not on the side of the Jets in developing a draft pick, then if Fields performance is solid they may have found a solution behind center. If Fields does good he could be a trade chip for another team if the QB he grooms turns into something.

The Jets have had a solid defense the last few seasons during which I thought they took a step backwards last year. The stench of Aaron Rodgers rotted everything it touched in that Jets locker room last year. The Jets have hired a defensive-minded head coach in Aaron Glenn, former Lions D-Coordinator. Glenn can probably get that defense to its old self. If Justin Fields is careful with the football, then the Jets may have found a new formula to win games. Defense and duel threat QB who does not turn over the football. I think Fields will also flourish because he will have his former teammate catching his passes. From Ohio State, former Buckeye Garrett Wilson is the best receiver the Jets had had the last three seasons. With all the bad quarterback play the Jets had over the last few seasons, he still has found ways to tally over 1,000 receiving yards. The Jets were 5-12 last year and finished 3rd in the AFC East. They should benefit with an easier schedule next season. My knock of Fields in something he may not be able to improve, is the killer instinct with the ball in his hands in the last minute of the game. Taking the lead or tying the game to send it to overtime. Most importantly, the comeback to win the game. He was a disappointment in close games in the last few minutes in a Bears uniform. Right now Fields has a chance to showcase his talents with a new team and being the starter. How will he handle objects in his side mirror that are closer than he thinks? I like this move by the Jets because it turns the page on Rodgers. Fields is most likely only a rebound after a bad break up for the Jets. He gives this franchise a chance to heal. He gives this franchise a chance to rebuild. He gives the Jets a fighting chance every Sunday and makes each week exciting even if the record is not a winning one. The Jets should be better than 5-12 as the darkness retreat clouds have lifted over the New Jersey stadium on home games.

THE JETS ARE DOOMED WITH RODGERS

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For the last few seasons the New York Jets had that ferocious defense, one of the top units in the league. It was a defense that could suffocate a running game. In the air their defenses were Maverick-like in the danger zone. With that defense in place if only they had a quarterback, then the sky was the limit for their future contention window. This franchise has tried developing their franchise quarterback through the draft. The team has high picks over the years and have swung and missed with guys like Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson. He was bad on the field along with bringing that toxic feeling to the gang green’s locker room. Then the Jets front office finally landed their answer at QB, the man the legend former Packers star & future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers who has a Superbowl ring. In two seasons of which one Rodgers was hurt the entire year after leaving the first quarter with an injury, he has single handily taken this Jets team two steps backwards instead of forward.

In Aaron Rodger’s second season with the Jets, the team is off to a 2-5 start after the first 7 games of the season. Maybe it’s time he looked himself in the mirror or got some more quality time at his darkness retreat. Rodgers has 10 touchdown passes compared to 7 interceptions. The Jets are averaging 18.3 points per game. The Jets offense is ranked 24th in the NFL in scoring this season. Whose fault is that? The great Rodgers is 40 years old, has played football for decades, and has been on plenty of winning teams in his NFL career. Many great quarterbacks will take the blame themselves. Rodgers will point fingers at the other guys. The Jets loss to Buffalo when the Bills sealed the win off with an interception, Rodgers blamed the veteran wide receiver Mike Williams for running the wrong route. The ball looked like it was under thrown as well. Not Rodgers’ fault as he pointed that out after the game in the press conference. Williams played with the Chargers last year & was a nice weapon for Justin Herbert. He signed with the Jets this off season as a free agent. Williams has been working himself back from an injury that occurred last season. The Jets just made a trade for one of Rodgers’ disciples back in the Green Bay days, Devante Adams. More on him in a little bit. Now Williams appears to be on the Jets trading block.

My biggest beef with this Jets team is how the owner Woody Johnson fired a promising head coach in Robert Saleh. Only six games into the season, Rodgers and Saleh bumped heads on a few things.

Did Aaron Rodgers orchestrate his frustrations with the Jets owner making this move happen? Saleh is a former defensive coordinator from the San Francisco 49ers and the problems with these Jets teams have been the offense. The Jets would promote their defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich to the interim head coach. Ulbrich is known as a positive guy, a former disciple of Pete Carol’s staff. Could he be the yes man for Rodgers the rest of the way? The Jets have brought in Rodgers’ former head coach last year Nathaniel Hackett who once upon a time ago was Rodgers’ offensive coordinator in Green Bay. Hackett landed a head coaching job in Denver and fizzled out with the Broncos and did not even last a full season. If you remember what Sean Payton said about the Broncos team when he took over. “One of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.”

The Jets also said after the firing of Saleh and promoting Ulbrich to interim head coach, they will have Todd Downing call the plays on offense. Hackett will still be Rodgers’ right hand man but the team is going with some younger blood on the play calls in hope to spice things up.

After the Bills lost, the Jets made a trade and landed Devante Adams from the Raiders. Adams was fed up with the Raiders. He demanded a trade and got his wish as he lands with the old quarterback from their Green Bay days. The Jets have surrounded Rodgers with guys he is familiar with like Randal Cobb and Allen Lazard now Adams. With Adams in the fold, could it hurt the Jets young receiver Garrett Wilson who is the team’s number one guy? Then you wonder about if the Jets now become pass happy and abandon the run as they have a solid running back in Breece Hall. Does Rodgers use another wish from his genie the Jets front office and find himself another back he has worked with back in Green Bay? It’s the Packers East coast team they are building in the AFC.

Can Aaron Rodgers and the Jets dig themselves out the hole they have dug this season out of the gates at 2-5? The Jets defense use to be stout versus the run. I noticed opposing teams have gashed this defense for big chunks of yards. This Jets team still has some missing pieces like the offensive line has needs. I’m all about Rodgers getting creamed back there by defenses. This Jets team has to clean up the penalties in which they shoot themselves in the foot many times. Rodgers will point the finger at the referees for those mistakes. To me this Jets team feels like the nut job is in charge of the asylum. Which my middle finger is pointed to Rodgers on that guy. Last Sunday night even with Roger’s new toy Adams, the Steelers killed the Jets with Russell Wilson at quarterback. Rodgers is not a top ten QB in the NFL anymore. You saw that in Green Bay & you see it this season. Look at Jordan Love now in Green Bay. Rodgers could not even hold his jock strap the way Love is playing. For years Rodgers held the Packers hostage not letting the organization know if he was playing or not the following year. It took kicking and screaming to get Rodgers out of the door to Green Bay. I’m sorry but New York is where X-Packers QB’s go to die. Brett Favre did not do well as a Jet. At least Favre moved on from New York and had a few productive seasons with Minnesota. How long is the leash that the Jets owner will keep Rodgers on after this season? Sooner or later this Jets defense contention window will close. They will age or move on seeking riches from other teams. Then you’re left with an aging quarterback that will need prunes and will not play like Tom Brady in his 40’s. When it is all done Rodgers will point that finger to blame Woody Johnson for not getting it right to surround Mr. Darkness Retreat with the proper weapons to run a well-oiled machine offense. The Jets are doomed and will go back to the drawing board looking for a quarterback. While Rodgers will slink away thinking it was not his fault.