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Signing Aaron Rodgers is 'worst-case scenario' for Steelers, Ryan Clark says

The worst-kept secret of the offseason is out after Aaron Rodgers officially joined the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It's a one-year-deal for the 41-year-old, who spent his last two seasons with the New York Jets, each ending in major disappointment.

But the Steelers, while opting not to select a highly-touted quarterback in the NFL Draft — they drafted Will Howard in the sixth round — had been targeting Rodgers since practically the start of the offseason. 

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Ex-Steeler Ryan Clark is not a fan of the signing.

"This is the worst-case scenario for Pittsburgh Steelers fans," Clark said on ESPN Thursday. "It continues to keep you mired in mediocrity. Will this team be better? Have they gotten better in the quarterback room? Absolutely. Will they contend for that championship that Pittsburgh Steelers people and fans and organization think is the standard? No, they won’t.

"They’ll be fighting for a wild-card spot. They’ll probably be home week one of the playoffs and again be looking for a franchise quarterback. 

"If you told me you were gonna pair one of this era’s greatest coaches with one of this era’s greatest quarterbacks, I’d expect greatness. That is not what we’ll get. Maybe six years ago, but not now."

This offseason, the Jets made the decision to move on from Rodgers after two years with him under center. His first season didn't go according to plan after he tore an Achilles in Week 1, but a 5-12 record last season wasn't what anyone at 1 Jets Drive expected with a healthy Rodgers under center. 

Rodgers was back on the free agent market for any quarterback-needy team. However, the same issue the Jets faced when they were looking to trade for Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers hung over his availability — retirement. 

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Rodgers will lead Arthur Smith's offense that won't feature wide receiver George Pickens in 2025 after he was traded this offseason to the Dallas Cowboys. Pittsburgh, though, reached a deal with the Seahawks to land Pro Bowler DK Metcalf to assume that top wide receiver role. 

Rodgers will also be working with tight end Pat Freiermuth, receivers Robert Woods and Calvin Austin and a young, dynamic backfield of Jaylen Warren and third-round pick Kaleb Johnson. 

The four-time MVP quarterback did have a strong finish to his 2024 campaign despite dealing with some nagging injuries in the beginning. Through his final 10 games with New York, he threw for 18 touchdowns and only four interceptions. 

Rodgers will turn 42 in December, when he hopes to be in playoff position with the third NFL team in his Hall of Fame career. 

Rodgers' lone Super Bowl title came against the Steelers in 2011.

Fox News' Scott Thompson contributed to this report.

Concerned McIlroy misses cut by 12 at Canadian

Rory McIlroy tumbled out of the RBC Canadian Open on Friday with his second-highest score to par in any PGA Tour round of his career, with Cameron Champ taking a two-stroke lead into the weekend in the final event before the U.S. Open.

Riley Gaines weighs in after WNBA declines OutKick's media credential request

Former NCAA swimmer and OutKick contributor Riley Gaines is speaking out after the outlet learned its media credentials request for some WNBA games would not be accommodated.

"A few weeks ago, I made this video highlighting how it appears Brittney Griner said bleep white girl after fouling out in a game against (the) Indiana Fever, the team that Caitlin Clark plays for," Gaines said in a collaborative Instagram post between her verified account and OutKick's official page.

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"You can watch and make up your own mind as to what it appears Brittney Griner is saying," Gaines continued. "It's not certain what Griner says (but) there's one way to find out… ask Brittney Griner. However, no one has done that except for OutKick." 

The video in question was not accompanied by any audio, but users on social media have speculated on what the WNBA veteran has said. 

According to OutKick's Dan Zaksheske, the outlet submitted credentials requests for at least two Atlanta Dream games this season. The requests were for the Dream's road game against the Los Angeles Sparks on May 27 and Friday night's game in Connecticut against the Sun. Both asks were declined by the respective teams.

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"Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate your request for a media credential for Connecticut Sun vs. Atlanta Dream on Friday, June 6," the Sun said in an email sent to OutKick. "Due to very limited space, priority is given to those that are associated with outlets that have consistently covered the organization for previous seasons."

After briefly mentioning the WNBA's investigation into a report of racist fan behavior at the Fever-Sky matchup on May 17, which were allegedly directed at Angel Reese, Gaines pointed out OutKick's previous experiences with obtaining credentials.

"We've never had any trouble getting credentials with any professional sports league in the past, but wouldn't you know now they suddenly have very limited space."  

Gaines said the recent decision will not prevent the outlet from presenting uncomfortable questions to sports figures. "Regardless, we at OutKick are going to keep asking the tough questions," she vowed.

Fox News Digital also submitted a request to cover Friday's Dream-Sun game. That request was not approved as it was submitted "post the 72-hour deadline," a spokesperson said, adding that accommodations could not be made "due to space limitations." 

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