Happy New Year 2025

Tag: Famer

Hall of Famer Steve Young weighs in on Aaron Rodgers’ NFL future as possible divorce with Jets looms

Aaron Rodgers’ time in a New York Jets uniform could soon come to an end. It is “unlikely” the Jets will “move forward” with the four-time NFL MVP quarterback, FOX Sports reported earlier this week.

The report on Rodgers’ future surfaced shortly after the Jets brought in Aaron Glenn as the team’s next head coach and named Darren Mougey the general manager. Rodgers and the Jets divorcing could be a sign that Gang Green wants to go into the offseason with a clean slate.

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Steve Young looks on prior to a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on January 07, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Jeff Bottari/Getty Images)

If Rodgers’ stint in New York does officially reach an endpoint around the start of the NFL’s new league year in March, he will leave the Jets with 18 starts over two seasons. Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury in the first week of the 2023 campaign.

JETS GAVE AARON RODGERS ULTIMATUM ON ‘PAT MCAFEE SHOW’ APPEARANCES: REPORT

While an unceremonious exit from the Jets could spark questions about whether the 41-year-old Rodgers will decide to step away from the NFL, Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young believes the quarterback still has the tools to be an effective player.

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) waits for the snap of the ball during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

“In today’s game, Tom Brady said it best. The flats are always open, the middle of the field is unpatrolled, and no one can hit me,” said Young during a recent appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.”

“And by the way I make $50 million dollars. So I think that Aaron because he’s healthy a full year, look the mobility is down and everything else, but if he can get to a place that understands the position, has innovative mindsets of more and more places like that, that you can get to where you can take advantage of the new football that’s being played. If he can get to one of those spots I’m sure he’d still love to go play some great football, especially with a more innovative mind.”

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers walks on the field during the second half of an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in East Rutherford, N.J., Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Rodgers threw 28 touchdowns against 11 interceptions over 17 games in 2024. While Rodgers is much closer to the end of his career than he is to the beginning, he did have moments this past season where he played well.

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However, it remains unlikely that Rodgers will regain his MVP-caliber form. But with several NFL teams being in desperate need of competent quarterback play next season, Rodgers could draw interest if he does end up on the free agent market.

The Jets parted ways with head coach Robert Saleh in October and went on to finish with a 5-12 record.

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 12, 2025
Hall of Famer says Josh Allen edged Lamar Jackson in the MVP race 'for the wrong reason'

Josh Allen finally earned his first MVP award Thursday night by a slim margin.

The Buffalo Bills quarterback edged Lamar Jackson by 21 points. Allen received 27 first-place votes to Jackson’s 23.

Allen has been a perennial MVP candidate throughout his career but had always fallen short prior to Thursday.

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He was a finalist three previous times, and with Jackson having just won last year, one Hall of Famer suggested Allen received sympathy votes this year.

“I get it, because [Josh] is a great quarterback. He hadn’t won one. Lamar had two. And they’re like, ‘Let’s just give him one.’ But that’s the wrong reason,” Jonathan Ogden told TMZ Sports. “But it’s all good. What are you going to do? But they made the wrong choice. But that’s all good.

“I don’t want it to sound like I’m hating on Josh because the brother is a tremendous quarterback. But he didn’t have the year Lamar had.”

Jackson’s numbers do trump Allen’s mostly across the board, but there is something to be said about Allen’s Bills running away with their division despite letting go of top receiver Stefon Diggs.

This season marked the first time since 2019 Allen did not pass for 4,000 yards, but he did lead the NFL with a 77.4 total QBR. While his 28 passing touchdowns were also his lowest since 2019, he did run for 12 touchdowns, the second most of his career.

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After winning his second MVP award last year, Jackson hit career highs with his first 4,000-yard campaign and his first season throwing 40 touchdowns.

Allen got the benefit of a rather subpar division, clinching the AFC East Dec. 1. But it became clear that as long as Allen is in the fold, the Bills have a chance to compete.

Allen received 22 second-place votes to Jackson’s 26 (Saquon Barkley and Joe Burrow each received one), while Allen also got a third-place vote. Jackson recorded a fourth-place vote.

This comes despite Jackson receiving more first-team All-Pro votes than Allen. It’s the first time since 1987 (John Elway) a first-team All-Pro did not win the MVP.

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February 8, 2025
Hall of Famer Warren Moon raves about specific Patrick Mahomes trait that could lead to another Super Bowl win

As a Hall of Fame quarterback himself, Warren Moon knows that the trajectory of Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes’ career has Canton, Ohio with a bronze bust written all over it.

Mahomes will once again grace a Super Bowl field on Sunday, facing off against the Philadelphia Eagles, whom he helped beat two seasons ago. And the Chiefs have potential history on the line, as they could become the first team to ever win three straight Super Bowls.

Moon told Fox News Digital on Radio Row this week in New Orleans that he wants to see history made on Sunday, and he believes it will be, because of No. 15 leading the way on offense.

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Warren Moon walks the red carpet at the Unbridled Eve Gala at the Galt House Hotel on May 3, 2024, in Louisville, KY. (IMAGN)

“He’s had it all, especially from the start. I mean, he’s got enough body of work with seven, eight years in the league to show just how great he is,” Moon said while also touching on his role with the NFL Alumni Association to raise awareness for cancer screenings. “This is the fifth Super Bowl he’s been to in his seven years he’s been starting, [and] he’s got a chance to win his fourth, and a third in a row. Nobody has ever done anything like that. So, when you’re a guy that’s done something that’s never been done before, you’ve got to be considered one of the greatest.”

The “G.O.A.T.” moniker has been used for Mahomes quite a lot in recent years because of his ability to collect hardware alongside his team while doing some tremendous things under center.

Moon says he watches quarterbacks “very carefully year-in and year-out,” and he shared what impresses him most about Mahomes’ game.

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“I’m still a fan of the game, I played the game, and I know the position, so I know the special things that he does each and every week, and, yes, he has all the physical gifts but the thing that I’m most impressed with is his competitiveness and his toughness,” Moon explained. “You’ve seen him get injured in ballgames and still come back and make big plays, he pulls out so many games at the end. That’s what great quarterbacks do, so that’s what I really appreciate about him more than anything else.”

FILE – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes chews his mouth guard during warmups before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

During this Chiefs’ Super Bowl run, talk about referee bias in favor of Mahomes & Co. is something that Moon dismisses, because it’s something we’ve seen before with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

“You know, people say that about every great football team or every great team in general that they get the calls, they get all the breaks,” he said. “They said the same thing about the Patriots, and they didn’t like the Patriots being as great as they were for as long as they were. So that just kind of happens with fans, because unless their team is winning, they don’t want to see anybody else win. I just have an appreciation for whoever is good and a respect for teams and people that are good.”

We’ll see how the officiating plays out on Sunday, but Moon knows that Mahomes’ magic will be on full display.

And if he does lift the Lombardi Trophy once more, that greatest-of-all-time conversation will only have more backing.

IMPORTANT INITIATIVE FOR MOON

Moon was down in the Big Easy on behalf of the NFL Alumni Association and its GEAR UP campaign to raise awareness for cancer screenings, especially colorectal cancer, which goes undetected more than any, because screenings are the only way to detect it.

Moon said this is an initiative he jumped to help out with because he has been affected by those with cancer in his own life, including his godmother, who passed away a couple of months ago.

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“It’s called the ‘GEAR UP’ campaign, and it’s our fight against cancer,” he explained. ” There’s so many cancers that are affecting people’s lives – colorectal cancer for one. It’s probably the leading death from cancer in the country, and a lot of people don’t know that.

“It’s a cancer that sometimes goes undetected unless you get screenings, so we’re trying to promote to different communities around the country to not only get screened for colorectal cancer, but any type of cancer you might have in your body. The only way to guard against that is to go get these screenings.”

Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

February 8, 2025
Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis crowns ‘prototype’ Saquon Barkley as the ‘best running back’ in NFL

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NEW ORLEANS – Jerome Bettis might know a thing or two about success in the backfield.

A two-time All-Pro, six-time Pro Bowl running back, and Super Bowl champion, Bettis was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Saquon Barkley is now well on his way to a gold jacket himself after becoming the ninth player to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season, and because of that historic performance, Bettis said no one is ahead of Barkley at the moment.

“I think Saquon Barkley is the best running back in the NFL right now. He’s special,” Bettis said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital. “He can do everything that you want a running back to do – catch it in the backfield, catch it deep, catch it in the flat, run for a first down, run for power, he can break it anywhere on the field. This guy is the ultimate running back.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball for a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the first half in the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

“He’s the prototype – if you draw up what a running back should be, it’s Saquon Barkley.”

Barkley, of course, was drafted second overall by the New York Giants in 2018. After spending six seasons there, the new regime opted to let him go, and it’s been a nightmare for Big Blue ever since.

To rub salt in the wound, Barkley will now suit up for the Birds in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The big game was once “bittersweet” for “The Bus” Shortly after winning his title, he lost his father at the age of 61 to a heart attack. Perhaps maybe the best moment of his life was almost immediately followed by the worst, but Bettis is now able to fully “understand the importance of this game” and take it all in.

So, Bettis, like Barkley, is in New Orleans this year to spread awareness about heart health, teaming up with the CDC Foundation’s “Live to the Beat” campaign in efforts to keep people from a life cut short like his dad.

Running back Jerome Bettis #36 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the football against the Denver Broncos during the 1997 season AFC Championship game at Three Rivers Stadium on January 11, 1998 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 24-21. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

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“The whole idea is to get people to understand and see that heart health is important, and they can do small things to change what that heart health will be in the future,” he said. “The quality of life, everything that goes with it. Small changes to your diet, taking a little bit of sugar out of that diet, working out, going for a walk on a daily basis, just small things that can really encourage heart health.

“Looking at my mortality, I‘m 52, so I’m saying to myself I’ve got to make sure I’m doing some of those things that helps me so that I’m not a victim of a heart attack or high blood pressure, a stroke, those type of issues that come with poor heart health. I’m making sure people hear my story, and maybe they’re inspired to make a change.”

NFL players don’t go into the Hall of Fame representing a team like baseball players do, but if that were the case, it would be hard to argue that Barkley wouldn’t have an Eagles helmet if they win this title, Bettis said.

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“He’s done something no Eagle has ever done, run for 2,000 yards, and has a chance to give them another championship. He would be cemented in the legacy of the Philadelphia Eagles,” he said. “If you talk about the history of the Eagles, you cannot not mention Saquon Barkley.”

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February 7, 2025
Broncos star Pat Surtain II earns high praise from Pro Football Hall of Famer Champ Bailey

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Denver Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain II was named as one of the finalists for AP Defensive Player of the Year for the 2024 season.

Surtain, who wrapped up his fourth season in the NFL, put up his best year yet. He had four interceptions, 45 tackles and 11 pass breakups. He returned the interceptions for 132 yards, which included his 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. It was a league-leading stat.

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Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, #2, gestures after a play in the third quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Dec. 15, 2024. (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)

The young Broncos player caught the attention of fellow Broncos great Champ Bailey even before he came into the league. Bailey, who spoke to Fox News Digital on behalf of Trulieve, said he saw a little bit of himself in Surtain but thinks Surtain is better setup for the pros.

“A little bit. I think he’s far ahead of me as far as his demeanor, his professionalism, his technique,” he said. “When he came into the league, you could tell he was going to be good right away. It was just more, ‘OK, can he sustain his success? Can he stay healthy?’

“Those are the things that are really unknown to an NFL player’s career – the health side of it, which is huge. And he’s been able to do that and play consistently. I always knew if he strapped them up, he’s going to be one of the best no matter what because of how he approaches the game.”

Bailey has high hopes for Surtain’s career.

RAVENS’ MARK ANDREWS BREAKS SILENCE AFTER CRITICAL DROP IN PLAYOFFS LED TO DEATH THREATS: ‘ABSOLUTELY GUTTED’

Champ Bailey partnered with Truelieve. (Truelieve)

“He looks like a 10-year vet playing like a guy in his prime,” he said. “The sky’s the limit for him. I told people when he was drafted, he’s on a Hall of Fame path. It’s all about his good health. If he stays healthy, he will be a Hall of Famer and, hopefully, he’ll be Defensive Player of the Year this year. Definitely pulling for that.”

The Defensive Player of the Year nominees list is stacked.

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and Pittsburgh Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt were also named as finalists.

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Surtain earned his third Pro Bowl selection and his second First-Team All-Pro selection this season.

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January 26, 2025