Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers Snubbed By Longtime Favorite Receiver

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been known to take an active role in recruiting his former teammates and friends to play with him, including several who joined him during his two seasons with the New York Jets.

But the future Hall of Famer failed in his recent attempt to lure one of his favorite targets to Pittsburgh, losing out to an NFC team hoping to return to Super Bowl contention.

Aaron Rodgers Turned Down by Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Rodgers built a strong connection with wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling during their seasons with the Green Bay Packers, then got the chance to reunite this week after a surprise move. Valdes-Scantling appeared to be headed to a significant role with the Seattle Seahawks, but was instead released at final roster cuts and headed to free agency.

Valdes-Scantling decided to sign with the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad, but admitted that Rodgers made a strong pitch for him to join the Steelers.

“He wanted me back over there,” Valdes-Scantling told reporters on Thursday, via The Athletic.

Valdes-Scantling admitted that he was contemplating returning to his longtime quarterback in Pittsburgh, but ultimately decided the 49ers offered a better career opportunity.

After a slow start with the Buffalo Bills last season that led to him being released, Valdes-Scantling finished with the New Orleans Saints and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Klint’s younger brother, Klay, is the offensive coordinator in San Francisco and Valdes-Scantling thought it would be a good fit for him.

“There’s a lot of carryover with the system, being able to come in right away and not have to learn a whole new system,” he said.

Valdes-Scantling could have had a good opportunity in Pittsburgh thanks to his longtime connection with Rodgers. The veteran receiver made 121 receptions for 2,134 yards with 13 touchdowns in his 58 career games with Rodgers.

Aaron Rodgers Earning Respect From His Teammates

Though Rodgers waited a long time before ultimately deciding to sign with the Steelers, he has already won over many of his teammates — including some vocal critics. Safety DeShon Elliott initially said Rodgers should have stayed in the “retirement home,” but said he made up with Rodgers once he joined the team.

“When he got here, we communicated, we talked, he’s a great person and a great football player,” Elliott said, via ESPN. “I respect him a lot. I told him that I respect him, and I apologized to him for the things I was saying about him. Honestly, he’s a great man and he has a great heart, so I appreciate him and he’s funny as hell.”

Rodgers has been intentional in building connections with his teammates, saying he tries to pair up with a different player every time the team stretches.

“That’s intentional,” Rodgers said. “I like to grab somebody new and just have a quick chat with them. So many times, where I feel like the expectation is that leaders got to be [at] the front of the line, but sometimes to lead properly, you have to serve, and serving sometimes involves being at the back. Sometimes when you’re back, you can get a good view of what’s going on all the time, getting close to the team.”

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Predicted for a Career Year as a Passer in 2025

Despite winning a Super Bowl MVP by knocking off the defending back-to-back champions on the game’s greatest stage, Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts still isn’t recognized as an elite quarterback by many NFL analysts because his passing production has never reached the heights of names like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow.

Yet, one NFL analyst believes Hurts is going to have a career year as a passer in 2025.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Predicted for 4,000-Yard Passing Season in 2025

Despite Hurts never topping 4,000 passing yards in any season of his NFL career, Zach Berman of The Athletic believes the Super Bowl MVP will have his best season yet as a passer by hitting this benchmark in 2025.

“There were six quarterbacks who eclipsed 4,000 passing yards last season, so why is this bold? Well, did you watch the Eagles play last season? They led the NFL in rushing and Hurts attempted only 361 passes — 177 fewer than in 2023 — while totaling only 2,903 yards. It would be a big leap to expect him to become a 4,000-yard passer in 2025.,” wrote Berman. “But the Eagles should pass the ball more this season than last season, and Hurts has the offensive weapons (A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley) to be prolific through the air. A 1,100-yard jump in passing production might be ambitious, although Hurts was on a 4,000-yard pace in 2022.”

This does feel like a bold prediction considering Hurts’ 2,903 passing yards in 2024 was the lowest mark of his career since being named the full-time starter entering the 2021 NFL season. However, he did finish with over 3,700 yards passing in consecutive years in 2022 and 2023.

The Eagles do have one of the best WR duos in the league with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith paired with some excellent ancillary options in TE Dallas Goedert and RB Saquon Barkley, which makes the path for a 4,000-yard passing season under a new offensive coordinator very plausible — if the Eagles do increase their passing rate from a season ago.

Is Jalen Hurts Being Slept on as a Fantasy Football QB Option in 2025?

When discussing which quarterbacks are considered ‘elite’ in the NFL, one stat that isn’t mentioned enough when discussing Hurts is his four straight years with 10+ rushing touchdowns — which is completely unprecedented at that position.

This is why Pat Fitzmaurice believes Hurts is a great fantasy football option at the QB position entering the 2025 NFL season.

“In four seasons as an NFL starter, Jalen Hurts has finished QB6, QB1, QB2 and QB6 in fantasy points per game. Hurts finished QB8 overall last season, largely because he was knocked out of a Week 16 game with a concussion and missed the last two regular-season games,” wrote Fitzmaurice. “Rushing value is a big part of Hurts’ fantasy appeal. He’s averaged 13 TD runs over the last four years, hitting double digits each season. Hurts has also amassed more than 600 rushing yards in each of the last four years.”

If Hurts’ rushing floor sustains while delivering on Berman’s prediction as a passer, then the reigning Super Bowl MVP could help lead you to a fantasy championship in 2025.

 

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