“Me personally, I’m approaching it – I just want to come home with the win. Haven’t won a road game in a year, coming from college. So, just want to get the feeling of coming back home on the plane, winning a game.”
Aaron Rodgers Throws Off Mike Tomlin’s Strategy, Forcing Steelers to Rethink Bye Week
Posted October 3, 2025
With Calvin Austin III now down with a shoulder injury and set to miss several weeks, per reports, the Pittsburgh Steelers need to invest in a wide receiver sooner rather than later. But it seems like their veteran QB,
Aaron Rodgers, is standing in the way.
Per insider Ray Fittipaldo, the Steelers are hesitant to trade for another WR because of their struggles in getting the ball to the ones they already have. As bizarre as the reasoning may sound, it is true that Rodgers, despite his steady form (68.5% completion), has not had the best time connecting with the wideouts.
Before he sat out W4 with a knee injury, the team’s leading receiver was Jaylen Warren, a running back, with 142 receiving yards to his name. Of course, DK Metcalf now leads the receiver room with 261 yards after having a near-perfect game against the Vikings, where he held on to 5 out of 5 targets for 126 yards and a score. But even then, Aaron Rodgers hasn’t exactly helped his wideouts rack up the most impressive numbers.
Through 4 games, the team has managed just 76 total receptions, ranking as low as 25th in the league. When asked about the lack of production from his WRs and TEs through the first three weeks, Rodgers didn’t mince words, pointing out issues with protection and communication in general, rather than blaming any one player in particular.
“We didn’t have enough guys open at times,” he said. “We gotta get open. I gotta make the plays that are there, and we gotta convert on third down to keep us on the field.”
Perhaps a trade for Tyreek Hill would’ve changed things for the better, but the Dolphins WR now finds himself dealing with what could be a season-ending injury. Luckily, head coach
Mike Tomlin has the all-important bye week to iron things out.
Speaking of making decisions in the bye week, the head coach has, in fact, already made one.
Mike Tomlin keeps his promise
Yet, this team just boarded a plane back from Dublin with a 3-1 record, fresh off a win that was both ugly and deeply meaningful. The night before they took the field at Croke Park,
Mike Tomlin told them about the late Dan Rooney, the former U.S. ambassador to Ireland and an architect of the Steelers dynasty.
He talked about Rooney’s vision and his strength that helped the Steelers win 6 Super Bowls. His only ask was that they leave that historic ground with a victory. And they did, by surviving a late Vikings surge to win 24-21. It wasn’t pretty—Rodgers was an efficient 18-of-22 for 200 yds and a TD, but it was the defense (6 sacks, 2 INTs) that turned up big time late in the game. So, in return, Tomlin gave them something unprecedented in his 19-year tenure.
“I promised them a sweet bye week if we got the business done,” Tomlin told reporters after the game. “I’ll probably have to fulfill that promise. There probably won’t be a lot of work in the week that lies ahead. We’ll get ourselves a good bonus on Monday and a good week’s work coming out of it, but they’re deserving of that.” It was a move of profound trust, especially for a team grappling with injuries and a clunky offense.
Marks’ ROTW Pick Sparks Debate — Texans Coach Ryans Fires Back
ouston Texans running back Woody Marks spoke candidly after his breakout performance in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans. However, the NFL is not letting the Marks forget, even as Week 5 officially kicks off with “Thursday Night Football.”
The Texans selected Marks with the No. 116 overall pick of the 2025 draft with the idea that he would be a pass-catching complement to Joe Mixon and Nick Chubb.
Amid injuries and/or ineffectiveness of the two veterans, Marks stood out in Week 4.
Woody Marks Wins Rookie of the Week After Breakout in Texans’ Win
Marks rushed for 69 yards and 1 touchdown on 17 carries against the Titans, adding another 50 yards and 1 TD on four receptions, giving the No. 116 overall pick 119 yards and 2 scores on 21 total touches in Week 4.
The efforts were enough for Marks to earn recognition from the NFL.
“@HoustonTexans RB @JoquaviousMarks 2-TD performance earned him the @pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week award for Week 4,”
the NFL posted on October 2.
The league sent another post with a link to highlights of the various candidates. Marks joins Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt and Jaylin Lane of the Washington Commanders (Weeks 1 and 3, respectively) and Tyler Warren of the Indianapolis Colts as this season’s winners so far.
The NFL shared a post on game day as Marks crossed the goal line for the second time, but the most encouraging aspect for the Texans is the rookie’s mindset.
Woody Marks ‘Laser Focused’ After Breakout Game
Marks spoke with KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson about his approach following his big game, which figures to earn him more opportunities from Texans’ head coach DeMeco Ryans.
“Just stay laser focused,”
“I’m proud of the game. We went 1-0. Got the win. That’s about it.”
