Four months after former New York Jets’ QB Aaron Rodgers was told he was going to be released, he has officially signed with the
Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal. The contract is worth $13.6 million, with $10 million guaranteed and has a max value of
$19.5 million according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
This may give some fans hope and make others’ pessimistic about the team’s current outlook. However, the latter is more likely.
When he was near the end of his Green Bay Packers’ tenure, he would drive many fans crazy with his ridiculous statements. Not
only that, but his play did not reflect previous years. A little bit after the 2022-23 season, he decided to join the Jets via a
trade.
When he joined the Jets, it immediately became a disaster, as he tore his achilles four plays into the 2023-24 season and was not
able to play the rest of that year. The following season, he played like his age and did not live up to the team’s expectations.
There was also drama in the locker room due to their losing record, eventually resulting in multiple firings on the team. People
could say he played a part in that drama, but many people outside the organization may never know for sure.
All of this has led up to this moment, where the Steelers are relying on him as the one missing piece to take them to the Super
Bowl and win it all. Can it happen? As said previously, there are multiple factors going against him and the team, but there is
one positive and it’s their defense. The unit has been one of the best year in and year out, and helps the team float around
.500, even with their offense consistently being one of the worst.
If Rodgers can prove himself to the world that he still has the ability to play at an above-average level, he can take the
franchise to a Super Bowl. If he does not though, and causes drama in the locker room, there could be massive repercussions.
There could possibly be firings for one of the most stable franchises in sports, which might include long-time head coach, Mike
Tomlin, despite being a highly regarded head coach in the NFL.
Overall, this is a go big or go home type of move, but based on recent history, it would not be shocking to see the Steelers fall
apart. That would be unfortunate for not only the team, but the Steelers’ fan base.
Philly Gets Their Revenge and Gives The Chiefs Regrets Over Embarrassing Loss
By Tanner Ostrowski
February 13th, 2025
The Kansas City Chiefs went into New Orleans with the dream of being the first team in the Super Bowl era to
three-peat. The Packers did win three consecutive championships, it should be noted that the first win was not a Super Bowl win.
However, the Philadelphia Eagles ended those hopes and annihilated the Chiefs 40-22. The Chiefs played terribly,
especially through the first three quarters when they were losing 34-6. It was a shame for some fans and some
would say it was an embarrassment for the Chiefs, because they had one of the best defenses, and had a player
some people consider the GOAT, Quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Chiefs defensive plan was to stop Eagles RB Saquon Barkley from running all over them and to dare Eagles QB
Jalen Hurts to throw the ball. The game plan did make sense, because the Eagles were almost unstoppable because
of Barkley. They executed that part of the plan impressively, and he had only 57 yards on 25 rushing attempts.
Since Barkley was struggling, Hurts had to step up to the challenge and that is what he exactly did. Hurts
showed the Chiefs that he was not just a “sidekick” to Saquon, but somebody that can take control of the
offense when necessary. Hurts proved that he can be the “boss” when he scored three TDs (two passing and one
rushing). Additionally, the Chiefs were so focused on hunting down Saquon, they forgot Hurts could run; he had
72 rushing yards on 11 attempts, which is good for an average of 6.5 yards. Hurts showed that he could make the
big-time throws when he threw a 46-yard pass to fellow teammate WR DeVonta Smith for a spectacular TD.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had one of his worst games, with two interceptions, one of them returned for a
pick-six by Eagles CB Cooper DeJean. For someone that is known as one of the most clutch players in the entire
NFL, he overwhelmingly underperformed and failed. However, there is a good explanation for this performance.
Mahomes was under constant pressure, taking six sacks throughout the entirety of the game.
The Chiefs offensive game plan did not help them at all. They should have run the ball more at the beginning of
the game. The RBs ran the ball three times the entire 1st Half while Mahomes threw an astronomical amount of
passes in comparison to the number of rushing attempts they had. Because of this, the Eagles defense was keened
in on Mahomes. They should have run the ball much more which would have made the Eagles defense off balance.
Philly would have needed to focus on the running game a little bit more, thereby giving Mahomes a chance to play
like he usually does. Mahomes would have faced much less pressure. Mahomes did throw three TDs, but it was too
little, too late. The Chiefs' offensive line could not hold up against the Eagles vaunted defense. This result,
to say the least, is shocking and unexpected.
The Eagles offense and defense had a fire lit under them, proving themselves to be the best, despite people
stating the Chiefs were going to win the game. Ultimately, the Chiefs' quest ended in misery and the Eagles were
the better team all along. Not many people expected the dominance that the Eagles showed during Super Bowl
59.
The Super Bowl Story of The Philadelphia Eagles vs. The Kansas City Chiefs - Part 2
By Tanner Ostrowski
February 4th, 2025
The Philadelphia Eagles are seeking vengeance against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are currently on a quest
for a three-peat. The Eagles actually started the Chiefs' journey to this piece of history. It started on
February 12th, 2023, where the teams faced off at Glendale, Arizona, with the Chiefs beating the Eagles by
three points, 38-35.
The following season ended in back-to-back Super Bowl wins for Kansas City, as on February 11th, 2024, the
Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22, another three point win. The Chiefs are looking to be the first
team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat. And they are one game away from accomplishing this.
Both teams have had their struggles and strides throughout the season. The Chiefs won a lot of games during
the season, going 15-2 this season. However, the Chiefs got beyond lucky a majority of the games throughout
this season. Beginning Week 1, Baltimore’s Tight End, Isaiah Likely, caught a possible, game-tying touchdown
pass but it was overturned due to his toes being out-of-bounds. Their good luck streak continued into Week
14, when Kansas City’s backup kicker, Matthew Wright kicked a game-winning field goal, despite the football
hitting the field goal post in the process. After this, the Chiefs went on fire, as their offense ignited
the flames (with the exception of their last game, as the Chiefs’ backups lost 38-0 to the Denver Broncos’
starters). They went on to beat the Buffalo Bills to get into the Super Bowl.
The Eagles started their season 2-2 to begin the season, and at one point, there were rumors that the
coaches would get fired. That drama ended fairly quickly, as they went 12-1 the rest of the way before
making the playoffs. Then, the team dominated the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round, beat the Los
Angeles Rams, and then obliterated their rivals, the Washington Commanders in order to make it back to the
Super Bowl.
There are three major factors that will impact the game. The first factor is obvious, as Chiefs QB Patrick
Mahomes needs to play at his best. The Chiefs run game is modest to say at the least, so Mahomes will need
to keep on doing what he usually does, which is winning games. However, the pressure is on a whole other
level, as he is trying to write him and his team down in the history books.
The second factor is Eagles RB Saquon Barkley. Will he be able to carry his team like he has had most of the
season? There are no guarantees that Barkley will keep on dominating like he has before this event. This
will be his first Super Bowl game and will have to rise to the occasion, which many are expecting him to.
However, both of these factors hinge on one thing, which is how well the defenses will play. Kansas City
Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio are
some of the top defensive minds in the game, and will try whatever it takes to beat their opposition.
Spagnuolo will probably load the box and make Eagles QB Jalen Hurts beat them with his arm, and after that,
Spagnuolo will bring on the blitz, as he is very well known for. Vic Fangio will have a tougher time, as
Mahomes slices and dices through defenses like he normally does, attacking whatever they give him. But there
has to be some confidence in Vic Fangio, as he is an excellent defensive coordinator.
The Chiefs will try their hardest to do something that has never been accomplished in the Super Bowl era.
Meanwhile, the Eagles will have a chance for redemption to stop Kansas City from continuing their dynasty.
It will be tough for both teams, due to the pressure, but it should be a close and entertaining game to get
the most coveted trophy in all of the United States, the Lombardi Trophy.
