Aaron Rodgers has a ‘bring my people’ mentality. He did it in Green Bay, doubled down in New York, and somehow pulled the same move in Pittsburgh. When the four-time MVP wants a guy, he usually gets him. The reunion sounded great on paper, but head coach Mike Tomlin drew a firm line just days before Sunday Night Football at SoFi Stadium.

According to Steelers insider Nick Farabaugh, there will be no Marquez Valdes-Scantling against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Black and Gold want him to prove himself in practice before handing him a helmet. The reason is that the wide receiver room in Pittsburgh is already jam-packed. 

DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, and Roman Wilson have the starting reps locked in. But behind them, Ben Skowronek and Ke’Shawn Williams are fighting for crucial snaps in the rotation. Scotty Miller is out with a finger injury for Week 10, which slightly thins out the depth chart. But unless someone drops off or MVS shows he can tilt the field, there’s just not much room in the Steel City rotation.

Still, it’s hard to ignore that Valdes-Scantling is an eight-year veteran with 3,606 career yards and 20 touchdowns, while ranking as the active leader in yards per reception at 17.3. However, he’s been quite the journeyman. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2018, then moving on to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022, followed by stints with the Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, and, most recently, the San Francisco 49ers. 

The 49ers gave him a shot earlier this year, then placed him on injured reserve after five games and cut him with a settlement. The Steelers scooped him up for the practice squad after releasing defensive back Beanie Bishop on November 3. 

But this is Pittsburgh, and Tomlin’s discipline runs deeper than sentiment. He won’t hand out snaps for nostalgia. Even with Rodgers’ word carrying weight in the building, every player still has to earn the right to wear the Black and Gold on game day.

The Rodgers-MVS Reunion

Back in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers and Marquez Valdes-Scantling were more than just quarterback and receiver. They were synced on another level. And that’s why Rodgers pushed to bring MVS to Pittsburgh.

“This guy next to me got me here,” MVS said this week, pointing to Rodgers. “You’ve been trying to get me around since we left Green Bay…He is the reason.”

Across four seasons together, Valdes-Scantling caught 13 touchdowns from Rodgers. In 2020, he averaged 20.9 yards per reception (the best in the league that year), and Rodgers hoisted the MVP trophy. Their chemistry was built on trust and timing. 

So, Rodgers grinned when his old friend crashed his media session and asked, “How excited are you to have MVS back?” 

“I love MVS,” the quarterback said, smiling widely.

That bond is what brought them both to Pittsburgh. Valdes-Scantling said it was a “joint effort” to reunite in the Steel City before the trade deadline. He could have stayed on the West Coast, but Rodgers made his pitch. The veteran wide receiver took it, even knowing it started on the practice squad. 

“I know that I can still play in this league,” MVS said. “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.”

That belief might eventually earn him a shot, but not this week. Rodgers’ influence got him through the door. Mike Tomlin’s standard will decide whether he stays.