Eagles QB Jalen Hurts Shades Aaron Rodgers
The Philadelphia Eagles took a more relaxed approach to the 2026 NFL schedule release than other teams, such as the Los Angeles Chargers’ Halo recreation or the Las Vegas Raiders’ “Step Brothers” skit.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, defensive tackle Jordan Davis, linebacker Jihaad Campbell, and offensive tackle Jordan Mailata sat at a conference table. The Eagles filmed their live reactions to each game, and Hurts kept his usual unfazed demeanor throughout, but his incidental dismissiveness made his subtle diss of Aaron Rodgers all the funnier.
Hurts opened an envelope to reveal that the Eagles will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11 on Nov. 22. Campbell asked, “They still got A-Rod?” Hurts hilariously shrugged and rolled his eyes. “Who knows,” he mumbled.
Hurts didn’t need to say anything else. Anyone following the NFL news cycle for the past four months understood the subtext.
Long saga short, it would take a cataclysmic turn of events for anyone other than Rodgers, 42, to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback next season. The four-time NFL MVP has a four-year streak going of becoming the main character of the offseason. Every NFL reporter agrees that Rodgers is expected to sign with the Steelers, but he still hasn’t done it yet. And so, the charade continues.
“The target date was never the draft. It was not the start of free agency. It was really May 18 for Aaron Rodgers,” Tom Pelissero told Rich Eisen this week. “It was the first day of OTAs. You want to max out the reps that you get on the field.”
Pelissero added, “That’s where, ideally, knowing how Mike McCarthy thinks, you’d want your starting quarterback to be there. You go all the way back to McCarthy’s early days in Green Bay - 2006 and even more so in 2007 - Brett Favre, who had spent offseasons on the tractor down in Mississippi for the better part of a decade, showed up in 2007.”
This offseason is following last offseason’s script, as Rodgers didn’t sign his one-year contract with the Steelers until June. Once he committed, Rodgers led Pittsburgh to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth, though the Steelers were slaughtered 30-6 by the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card. Longtime head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down after the loss.
The Steelers hired McCarthy as Tomlin’s successor later in January. McCarthy was the Green Bay Packers’ head coach from 2006 to 2018, coaching Rodgers during those 13 seasons. They won a Super Bowl together in February 2011.
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 6:54 PM.