As the Steelers' offseason pursuit of Aaron Rodgers dragged on earlier this year, some individuals around the organization had voiced their skepticism over the move.
Legendary former Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw was one of the most vocal opposers of the addition of Rodgers to the Steelers' quarterbacks room, and he made his thoughts abundantly clear on the matter during a May radio appearance on 103.7 The Buzz in Arkansas.
In his initial comments, Bradshaw scathed Rodgers and told him to "go somewhere and chew on bark."
"What are you going to do? Bring him in for one year? Are you kidding me? That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there," Bradshaw boldly stated.
Since then, Rodgers has taken over as the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh and arrived for training camp this week. He sat down with Kyle Brandt for an interview Saturday when Bradshaw's remarks were mentioned, prompting Rodgers to offer a response.
"I whisper to the gods every single day," Rodgers said.
"Terry's a legend. He's an absolute legend. He won four Super Bowls. He's had a legendary career in the media. But Terry, like a lot of people, doesn't know me. So, he's got an idea of what he thinks about me based on what I've done, the documentary, what I've said, darkness retreat, whatever the hell you want to talk about," said Rodgers.
Terry Bradshaw said Aaron Rodgers should:
— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) July 26, 2025
“Stay in California, chew on bark, and whisper to the gods.”
Here is the new Steelers QB’s response pic.twitter.com/hUxYmH6Fle
Rodgers spoke highly of Bradshaw, saying he was one of the quarterbacks that paved the way for modern QBs, mentioning him alongside some other all-time greats such as Bart Starr, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Troy Aikman and Tom Brady.
"I'd love to get to know Terry on a deeper level if he's open to it, and maybe we can go chew some bark or whatever the hell he's talking about together," Rodgers concluded.
Although Bradshaw took a rather hostile approach with his comments back in May, Rodgers welcomed the opportunity to sit down and speak with Bradshaw in order to connect on a deeper level as he embarks on what could be his final season in the NFL, and his first in Pittsburgh.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Rodgers Had Blunt Response to Harsh Criticism From Steelers Legend.
