Aaron Rodgers and Marquez Valdes-Scantling have reunited at the Pittsburgh Steelers three years after the receiver left the Green Bay Packers - where they first played together
07:40 ET, 06 Nov 2025
Aaron Rodgers has reunited with Marquez Valdes-Scantling in Pittsburgh
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Aaron Rodgers has reunited with Marquez Valdes-Scantling in Pittsburgh(Image: Getty)
NFL receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has credited joining the Pittsburgh Steelers with wanting to reunite with his former Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
Valdes-Scantling, 31, and Rodgers, 41, played together at the Packers between 2018 and 2021 following the receivers' fifth-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft. He played four seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay before moving on to the Kansas City Chiefs from the 2022 NFL season, where he won back-to-back Super Bowls in Patrick Mahomes' offense.
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Despite witnessing Mahomes' greatness and having spent time with the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, and the San Francisco 49ers, Valdes-Scantling says the opportunity to reunite with Rodgers, whom he considers the best quarterback ever to play football, was too good to turn down. Valdes-Scantling joined the Steelers' practice squad this week, with the team 5-3 and at the top of the AFC North under Rodgers' stewardship, after the veteran joined in the offseason as a free agent following two unsuccessful seasons with the New York Jets.
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"This guy [Rodgers] next to me got me here," the receiver said, gesturing to Rodgers. "You've been trying to get me around since we left Green Bay.... He is the reason."
"He's the best that ever played this game, man," Valdes-Scantling continued. "So it's pretty easy when you got that guy under center and just being on the same page.
"We built a great rapport over the four years that we got to play together, and he's one of my closest friends in this NFL thing that I've ever made. He's taught me a lot, so just being able to be around him again and get some more knowledge four years later, I'm excited about it."
Aaron Rodgers and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were Packers teammates
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Aaron Rodgers and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were Packers teammates(Image: Getty)
The receiver explained that it was a "joint effort" between him and Rodgers that ultimately resulted in his move to Pittsburgh's practice squad shortly before the trade deadline.
“He called, and we talked about it a couple times, and he said he would love to have me here, made his pitch, and it was down to the wire, to be honest,” Valdes-Scantling said.
“I was already on the West Coast, so it was kind of easier to stay over there moving around and stuff.
"But going back home for a week and get reset and I said, ‘Hey man, I want to keep playing this thing.’ And gave Aaron a call and he was like, ‘let’s do it.’"
Marquez Valdes-Scantling #83 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field prior to an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 12, 2025
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Marquez Valdes-Scantling #83 of the San Francisco 49ers runs onto the field prior to an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 12, 2025(Image: Getty)
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Despite exploring several potential receiver targets to line up alongside star wideout DK Metcalf ahead of the trade deadline, the Steelers ultimately made just one move at the position — bringing in Valdes-Scantling on Tuesday. Rodgers, HC Mike Tomlin, and the Steelers, are looking to make a play in the playoffs.
“What I’ve learned about the trade deadline is there’s a lot of conversation and rarely is there a lot of action,” Rodgers said. “... There was some big ones yesterday, but you feel pretty good about your guys, and we added Marquez to the p-squad. We’ve had guys on the p-squad who’ve been playing for us.”
“I know that I can still play in league,” Valdes-Scantling declared. “And so it was definitely some hesitation there, but I know that once I get up to speed, I’ll be able to step on the field.”