This week, Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Pro Football Hall of Famer and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Jerome Bettis, who is participating in this year’s American Century Championship, which will take place July 9-13 at Edgewood Tahoe. Bettis shared his thoughts on Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the new Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.

“They (Chiefs) got a guy named (Patrick) Mahomes, who makes everybody better,” said Bettis, “Because he’ll find other ways to beat you, and that’s what he’s always done. Regardless of who’s in the lineup, he’ll find the best way to beat you. I think that’s the mark of a great quarterback, that it doesn’t have to look the same week in and week out. I think that’s the true sign of a great quarterback, and Mahomes has proven that he’s a great quarterback.”

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Bettis’ former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, made a change at quarterback in the offseason by signing future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers to a one-year deal. The legendary running back weighed in on the franchise’s decision.

“Yeah, I think it’s one of those scenarios where it’s what you must do to be competitive. Many people have been saying, Oh, why would you go and get Aaron Rodgers? Well, there weren’t a lot of options available,” said Bettis, “If you want to have a competitive team, you’ve got a playoff-caliber defense; you need competent quarterback play. That’s been the issue for the last three to four years. You haven’t gotten that productivity out of the quarterback position. Now, you’ve got a couple of issues with Rogers. You gotta be able to protect him. If you can’t protect him, you’re not going to be able to get that high-quality play out of Aaron Rodgers. But if you could protect him, if we could run the football and have a solid running game, now all of a sudden, you’ve got something you can find to make the team, a better team, with Aaron Rodgers because you’re asking him to throw the football 20 to 25 times. If you ask Aaron Rodgers to throw the ball 40 to 45 times, it will be a disastrous season because he won’t be able to hold up. After all, that offensive line is not as good as some other offensive lines in the NFL. You have a chance if you get the offensive line to protect you, and you can get the best out of Rodgers.”

The annual tournament awards $750,000 in prize money, much of which the celebrity players donate to local and national charities. Over the years, nearly $8 million has been donated to non-profit causes. Network television exposure on NBC and a first-place prize of $150,000 make the celebrity tournament one of the most prestigious in the golf world.

Check out the website for more information about the American Century Championship.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Jerome Bettis comments on the impact of Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers