Steelers Are Not In 'Any Hurry' To Give Aaron Rodgers' Old Friend A Chance
The Pittsburgh Steelers may have lost 31-28 on Sunday to the Chicago Bears in Week 12, but the offense was still severely questionable throughout the entirety of the second half. One of those four touchdowns was a defensive score, and the only one they had in the second half was on a 17-play drive where many fans were calling for the team to score at a much quicker pace. Quarterback Mason Rudolph had just 171 yards on 24 completions, as he was throwing checkdowns all game long. His deep ball was not on point, and there seemed to be no backup plan once the short passing game and rush offense got contained.
Obviously, something is very wrong with the offense, and something needs to change. Many feel it goes beyond getting Aaron Rodgers back from injury. Even when he does return to the field, it sounds like one of his all-time favorite targets will not be the subject of this potential change either, according to insider Gerry Dulac of the
"The Steelers do not appear to be in any hurry to sign receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, a former Aaron Rodgers target in Green Bay, to the active roster," Dulac said. "Maybe it will change if Rodgers pleads hard enough with Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith."
It's no secret that Rodgers had a hand in the Steelers bringing in wide receiver Marquez Valdez-Scantling to the practice squad, but he has not been activated ever since he came to Pittsburgh. It's unclear how well he is doing in practice, but with six wide receivers on the active roster, it will be difficult for him to jump into the lineup over any of them at this point.
Of course, Rodgers and Valdez-Scantling had a solid connection during their time together with the Green Bay Packers. In their four years together, the receiver became a reliable big-play threat, which included a league-leading 20.9 yards per reception to go along with six touchdowns in 2020. With the lack of splash plays, maybe the veteran quarterback does try to convince the coaches to elevate him to the active roster for at least one game.
Steelers Have A Big Issue That Valdez-Scantling Could Maybe Fix
The Steelers have had a stunning lack of big plays in the passing game, so it would make sense why Rodgers would want to give his old friend a shot. If they can't get any big plays with the guys on the current roster, maybe he can find some sort of connection with Valdez-Scantling, like he did around the turn of the decade, especially if Arthur Smith can scheme up a few deep balls for him.
No passes over 20 air yards in an entire month is awfully concerning, especially in a passing league. That's also a red flag due to how explosive the passing game was in the first month and a half of the season. What looked like a great strength of the team has fallen into one of its biggest weaknesses. The Steelers won't be a threat in the playoffs if that trend continues in a sport that thrives off of huge plays.
Of course, Valdez-Scantling is a practice squad guy for a reason. He has not been able to stick with one team for a while ever since he won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs. Reuniting with Rodgers might be his best chance at reviving his career, but he still needs to show that he has that burst that can get him open down the sideline or the seam like it has in clutch moments in previous years.
Bills Get Troubling Update on Josh Allen Before Steelers Game
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Josh Allen takes a hit against the Houston Texans.
The Buffalo Bills have seen a host of injuries impact the defensive side of the ball, and now their most important player on offense will be forced to play through some pain.
The team announced on Wednesday that quarterback Josh Allen was playing through some general soreness, listing him on the injury report for the week. The update comes after the Bills quarterback had a big injury scare in last week’s loss to the Houston Texans, going down in pain after taking a hit from behind.
Allen has been forced to play through bumps and bruises in earlier seasons, sometimes being forced to adjust his throwing mechanics to account for the injuries. It’s not clear yet how serious the latest injury might be, but it comes at a critical time for the team’s playoff hopes.
Josh Allen Limited in Practice
As reporter Matt Bove noted in a post on X, Allen was seen wearing a protective wrap on his throwing arm at practice on Wednesday.
“Josh Allen is on the injury report because of ‘general soreness,’ ” Bove wrote. “You can see here the wrap around his elbow/right forearm. Sean McDermott said he would be a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.”
Allen had a scare in the first half of last week’s 23-19 loss, writhing in pain on the turf after being tackled from behind. He appeared to fall hard, with his right hand trapped underneath his helmet when he hit the turf.
Allen was seen telling the team’s medical staff on the sidelines that he was all right, and he went back into the game on the next drive.
The Bills quarterback has not missed a game since his rookie season in 2018, but has played through some nagging injuries in several seasons. He suffered a shoulder injury in 2023 that forced him to adjust his throwing motion, and the next offseason he worked with a sports science firm to correct the inefficiencies that set in as a result.
Josh Allen Ready to Play, But Bills Could Miss Other Players
Allen downplayed his injuries, telling reporters on Wednesday that he doesn’t believe it will affect his status for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“All good. Yeah, we’re ready to roll,” he said, via The Associated Press.
Allen added that he needs to do a better job of avoiding hits.
“Ultimately, I’m trying to do whatever I can to help this team win football games,” Allen said. “But understanding, again, trying not to take the hits is the utmost important thing and just being smart in that aspect.”
While Allen may be ready to play, the Bills could be without some other key players after injuries in last week’s game. Left tackle Dion Dawkins was placed in concussion protocol after last week’s game, while right tackle Spencer Brown is nursing a shoulder injury.
The Bills fell to seventh place in the AFC with last week’s loss, putting them on the fringes of playoff contention. They risk falling out entirely with a loss to the Steelers, and would need a win to keep alive their slim hopes of passing the New England Patriots for the lead in the AFC East.
