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Why Steelers QB coach is reportedly 'buying' Aaron Rodgers hype
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers received plenty of positive reviews regarding his first week as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That trend continued as former NFL signal-caller and current analyst Chase Daniel revealed during Friday's edition of FS1's "The Facility" program that he texted with Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth about Rodgers.
"He's buying the hype, to say the least," Daniel said about Arth's opinion of Rodgers, Steelers Depot's Josh Carney shared. "Like everything from on-the-field to off-the-field stuff. And I went on to ask [Arth] a little bit more, like, what stands out, all this stuff, right? He said Aaron Rodgers has four main gifts as a quarterback. He said arm talent, athleticism, his release and his intelligence. And I would agree that all four of those things have made Aaron Rodgers one of the greatest of all time."
Some may question Arth's take considering Pro Football Reference shows that Rodgers ended the 2024 season ranked 28th in the league among qualified passers with a 48.0 adjusted QBR. That said, it's worth noting that numerous physical setbacks impacted Rodgers' play last fall before he threw for eight touchdown passes with three interceptions over his final four games with the New York Jets.
Rodgers turned 41 in December, so it's likely he won't reclaim his best form with the Steelers even if he stays fully healthy through January 2026. Daniel found in his evaluations of Rodgers that the future Hall of Famer is "not scrambling outside the pocket" at this stage of his career. Nevertheless, the four-time Most Valuable Player Award winner could prove to be an upgrade over what the Steelers got from Russell Wilson and Justin Fields last season.
"When you look at his arm talent, his release and his intelligence, I would agree this is one of the better quarterbacks — I think probably the best quarterback — that Pittsburgh has had. I don't know if he's going to play like that, but in shorts, I think it's worth buying the hype," Daniel added.
Rodgers is largely a lottery-ticket acquisition for a Pittsburgh team seeking its first playoff win since the 2016 season. If nothing else, it sounds like Steelers coaches think Rodgers could put on quite a show during his first throwing session of training camp later this summer.
More must-reads:
- A happy Aaron Rodgers is good news for Steelers
- Insider clarifies report about Aaron Rodgers being Steelers' 'third' QB option
- The 'NFL MVPs' quiz
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'Absolutely' - Browns Are Considering Surprising Quarterback Move
It's the Browns. When the Cleveland Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders this April, they had a total of five quarterbacks on their roster between their incoming rookies, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and the injured Deshaun Watson. And despite the kind of confusing nature of their stockpiling so many QBs, it sounds like the team could double-down on the the decision by the time the regular season kicks off. According to The Athletic's Zac Jackson, "the Browns absolutely might keep all four quarterbacks" heading into Cleveland's season opener. While also adding, "No, Shedeur Sanders is not going to start Week 1 for the Browns. But he's put a lot of pressure on his coaches and fellow QBs headed into this week — the biggest week of training camp as the Browns head to Philly." Fans reacted to the reporter's update on X: "At this point it's not even a QB room anymore. It's a pitching rotation now," a user said. "One as a starter, One as a backup, One to hold on field goals, And one listed as a wide receiver for tax purposes," another commented. "[Shedeur Sanders] should be developed and shouldn't be thrown out there week 1 but he should be considered to be put over Gabriel and Pickett," a fan pointed out. "While also finally getting meaningful reps with the 1's." "I'm a Shedeur fan who wants Flacco to start with Shedeur at QB2," another person replied. "Sitting behind a veteran QB can be very valuable, and you know he'd be ready if he had to come off the bench. Just my .02." "This isn't unprecedented," another user posted. "The Patriots kept 4 QBs in the 2000 season. Worked out ok for them. Not saying there's a Brady in their QB room. But if they have 4 guys who they think are NFL worthy (even if none are QB1 right now), they can make it work." The Browns have been bitten by the injury bug thus far in camp with Pickett and Gabriel both dealing with ailments this preseason — opening up a window for Shedeur Sanders to earn his way up the depth chart. Sanders played well in Friday night's debut with a 14-of-23 performance for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the way to a 30-10 win over Carolina. But head coach Kevin Stefanski says the team in "evaluation mode" when it comes to their QBs.
Roger Federer Announces Tennis Return For Final Match
20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will return to the tennis court to play one more match at this year’s Shanghai Masters. Federer, who celebrated his 44th birthday on Friday, played his final match on the professional scene in September 2022 at the Laver Cup. It was an emotionally intoxicating doubles match in which Federer reunited with his great rival, Rafael Nadal. Roger Federer Announces Tennis Return Three years on from his retirement, Federer plans to grace the courts in Shanghai to play a celebrity doubles match. The tournament confirmed on X that the legendary Swiss will return to China at the start of October, when this year’s edition will be up and running. “Roger Federer is coming back to Shanghai. Join us on October 10th for the @rogerfederer and Friends Celebrity Doubles Match!” The tournament relayed the news. While the full schedule of who Federer will partner or play with is unknown for now, that match will take place two days before the singles final of the 2025 Shanghai Masters. In a short video announcing his return for one more doubles match, the two-time Shanghai champion said, “Hello, this is Roger. I’m really happy to be returning to the Qizhong Stadium in Shanghai for the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Shanghai has always been a special place for me, with great fans and unforgettable memories, and a real love for the game. I look forward to seeing you there on October 10th. Shanghai, let’s meet.” Why Shanghai? Shanghai is the penultimate Masters 1000 on the calendar and has previously been voted as the best ATP tournament of the year by players. The tournament represents some of the world’s best brands, including Rolex, which is its title sponsor. The Swiss watchmaker company is one of Federer’s most valuable sponsors. Federer has endorsed Rolex since 2001, and that partnership continues to grow stronger post-retirement. Federer has visited Shanghai in each of the last two years and has toured the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, which serves as the main court in the tournament. In 2023, he was presented with the Icon Athlete Award by the tournament in honor of his illustrious career in front of a packed stadium. And last year, Federer watched on from the stands as Jannik Sinner defeated one of his former rivals, Novak Djokovic, in the final.
Yankees legend suffers major injury at team's Old-Timers' game
The New York Yankees brought back their Old-Timers' game for the first time since 2019, and it did not go well for one of the team's greatest all-time players. Hall of Fame closer Mariano Rivera suffered a torn Achilles while trying to chase down a fly ball. Rivera hit one time in the game and delivered a single off of former teammate Andy Pettite before injuring himself in the field. Rivera's agent said surgery will take place this week (via the Associated Press). It is not the first time Rivera has suffered a major injury while playing in the outfield. He tore his ACL during the 2012 season while shagging fly balls during batting practice and missed the remainder of that season. Rivera is one of the most decorated relief pitchers — and Yankees — in league history, finishing his career as Major League Baseball's all-time saves leader (652) while also having the honor of being the only unanimous Hall of Fame selection. He was also a part of five World Series-winning teams with the Yankees, including their back-to-back-to-back championship teams in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Saturday's Old-Timers' game celebrated the 25th anniversary of the 2000 team. While several teams have days to honor former players, and while some have the occasional game involving former players, the Yankees are the only team that routinely holds an actual game. It is typically one of the highlights of the regular season. Before the game, Rivera said he had planned to speak to the Yankees' current closer, Devin Williams, given his recent struggles coming out of the team's bullpen.
Rams-Cowboys Preseason Game 1: Breakdown and Takeaways
Preseason NFL football is finally underway, but no other teams rolled out their debuts in such grandiose fashion as the St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium. Starters or not, the fans were just happy to see their guys take the field again. But the more committed onlookers were undoubtedly taking mental notes on their newly acquired players. Quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Dak Prescott didn’t take the field at all, as expected. Stafford is still recovering from back soreness. But even if there were no soreness, he wouldn’t have started the first preseason game. From a management standpoint these first games are primarily for seeing what they’ve got in their young players and whittling down the roster. Backups Galore There was crafty and stellar quarterback play by second-stringer Stetson Bennett. A fourth-round selection in 2023, Bennett was the only quarterback to have been selected by the Rams since Jared Goff. He was drafted 128th overall. Bennett threw for two touchdowns and had the best game of his young NFL career to date. His QB rating was 108.75 and he threw two TDs and had a pick. The Cowboys tried out their new guy too, Joe Milton III. He’s the QB they received in a trade with the Patriots. Milton came out swinging. He may have missed a lot but at least he was swinging, or slinging, as it were. His rating was only 71.82 and it took him a while to settle in. Brian Schottenheimer suggested they’d run a vanilla offense—and it was. Milton threw for a TD and an interception before leaving in the fourth quarter with an elbow bruise. Regardless, Jerry Jones was elated. In fact, he’s so happy about acquiring Milton he’s been pinching himself. Running back Blake Corum was the star of the show in the early goings. He was last year’s third-round draft pick for the Rams. Corum became opportunistic and mashed his way through the Cowboys’ defenders. He was trending on social media in the process. Corum twice found his way into the endzone with two touchdowns on the first two drives. Rookie Power During a broadcast interview with Sean McVay, Josaiah Stewart outmaneuvered Cowboys’ tackle Hakeem Adeniji, logging the Rams only sack. Stewart was a third-round selection in this year’s draft. He was supposed to fill a gaping hole on the edge. The rookie did enough to impress the coach with the sack. McVay certainly noticed him, stating the rookie made his presence felt. Cowboys’ rookie undrafted free agent Rivaldo Fairweather was the team’s receptions leader. He roped in three catches, one of them being Milton’s first touchdown pass as a Cowboy. It was a seven-yard completion for the TD. Rams’ undrafted free agent safety Nate Valcarce also made his presence felt. He led the team in total tackles with nine. He even had a pass defended. That alone is an impressive feat for a rookie defensive back playing in his first game. The two teams shared a practice in the week leading up to the game. Perhaps it’s the beginning of a new tradition as the Cowboys and Rams have met up in L.A. for the preseason debut now two seasons in a row. Due to the proximity of Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, it’s also convenient. Both games so far have been won by the Rams.
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