One of many largest takeaways from Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s latest interview on “The Herd” was the truth that Aaron Rodgers is again on U.S. soil after the veteran quarterback was allegedly within the Center East when he skipped the Jets‘ voluntary minicamp. However there was one other attention-grabbing nugget from the interview that has been considerably neglected.
In the course of the interview, Valdes-Scantling, who signed with the Buffalo Payments this offseason, mentioned that he labored out together with his former Packers teammate earlier this week.
“Me and Aaron have been nice associates since Inexperienced Bay,” Valdes-Scantling mentioned. “I hit him up and advised him I used to be popping out to L.A. He mentioned, ‘Let’s run some routes.’ So we bought it in. We out to some highschool, ran some routes collectively. It was good.”
That is attention-grabbing on a number of fronts. First, it is attention-grabbing that Rodgers — as an alternative of catching up over espresso or a pleasant meal — would as an alternative counsel getting some work in upon studying of Valdes-Scantling’s journey to Los Angeles. It is attainable that the 2 additionally loved some leisurely time collectively, however solely after routes have been run and passes have been caught.
The exercise additionally exhibits the tight bond that exists between Rodgers and Valdes-Scantling, who spent 4 years collectively in Inexperienced Bay earlier than Valdes-Scantling signed with the Chiefs throughout the 2022 offseason. Valdes-Scantling alluded to his relationship with and admiration for Rodgers after I requested him final fall about Rodgers presumably returning to play final yr regardless of rupturing his Achilles in Week 1.
“No, I am not stunned in any respect,” he mentioned on the time. “When you understand Aaron, that is simply who he’s. He’s a competitor, particularly if he will get right into a state of affairs the place he can show somebody incorrect, he’ll dwell and die by it. He is gotten a lot slack for leaving Inexperienced Bay … folks saying he wasn’t going to do effectively and no matter.
“Him taking place the best way that he did the primary sport of the season was heartbreaking. However I do know that it simply gave him far more motivation, and that is why you see him doing a lot proper now and even doubtlessly coming again this yr or early subsequent yr.”
You’ll be able to’t additionally not point out that Rodgers and Valdes-Scantling are actually members of division rivals, which makes their latest exercise all of the extra attention-grabbing. Russell Wilson not too long ago threw passes with former teammate DK Metcalf, however the Steelers and Seahawks aren’t scheduled to play one another anytime quickly. This may be like if Joe Montana threw passes to Jerry Rice forward of the 49ers-Chiefs showdown early within the 1994 season.
However this can be a totally different time, when gamers focus much less on group rivalries and extra on the bonds that they’ve created with different gamers, whether or not it is former or present teammates. For Rodgers and Valdes-Scantling, their latest throwing session was an opportunity to catch up whereas additionally sharping their abilities for his or her upcoming seasons, which can in the end cross paths on at the least two events.