One of the biggest offseason storylines in the NFL, as these things often do, was the future of Aaron Rodgers. The veteran quarterback’s decision regarding where he would play this season lingered through the spring and into the early part of June, when he finally signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That decision was scrutinized in the weeks that followed, with many wondering if Rodgers could make it work with Mike Tomlin, Arthur Smith, and the rest of the Pittsburgh coaching staff and roster.
Now granted, it is just one game, but the early returns are overwhelmingly positive.
Rodgers connected on 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns, as the Steelers went into MetLife Stadium and knocked off the New York Jets by a final score of 34-32 in the veteran QB’s Pittsburgh debut.
The new Pittsburgh quarterback did not start things off on the positive side of the ledger, as he was sacked on his first play from scrimmage:
Things improved there for the Pittsburgh offense. Rodgers and the Steelers scored their first touchdown of the 2025 campaign late in the first quarter, with the quarterback connecting with Ben Skowronek on this 22-yard touchdown pass:
Rodgers’ second touchdown pass of the game came on a jet sweep design, with the quarterback flipping the ball forward to tight end Jonnu Smith, who scampered around the right end for a touchdown to cut into what was a nine-point lead for the Jets.
His third touchdown pass required a little more effort … but not much:
After carrying out a run fake on this 1st-and-goal play, the quarterback executes a half roll to the right before finding running back Jaylen Warren in the flat. Warren slices into the end zone with the touchdown, and the Steelers were back within two points of the Jets.
Rodgers’ fourth touchdown came again with the quarterback rolling to the right, this time with pressure bearing down on him. But the veteran was able to get enough on this throw to connect with Calvin Austin III for the go-ahead score:
While that touchdown gave Pittsburgh the lead at 31-26, the Jets did not go quietly. Justin Fields drove New York 67 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run to the right side with just over seven minutes left to give the Jets a 32-31 lead.
But Rodgers was not done for the day.
After the teams traded punts, the Steelers took over on their own 19-yard line with 3:13 remaining in the game. Rodgers drove the Pittsburgh offense into field goal range.
With a little help along the way:
What had the potential to be a game-sealing interception for the Jets ended up in the hands of DK Metcalf, who was lying down on the MetLife Stadium turf when he made the reception. The highlight-reel catch gave the Steelers a fresh set of downs at the New York 41-yard line.
A few plays later, Chris Boswell converted a 60-yard field goal — that would have been good from 65 yards or longer — and the Steelers had the lead back, 34-32.
Fields and the Jets still had time, but a big hit from Jalen Ramsey on Garrett Wilson on a fourth-down play forced an incompletion, and the Steelers ran out the clock.
And Rodgers had his first win in black and gold.
After the victory, Tomlin praised his new quarterback:
Again, this is just one game and one win. But it meant a lot to Rodgers to beat his former team:
For a franchise that has struggled to stabilize the quarterback position these past few seasons, this is the kind of game the Steelers and their fans were waiting to see from their new quarterback.
