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 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"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.

What do you think about Valdez-Scantling likely not playing anytime soon? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

#SteelerNation