When the Jets traded for quarterback Aaron Rodgers in 2023, they envisioned a lot of days like the one Rodgers had at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The problem was that Rodgers was wearing a Steelers uniform. He tore his Achilles four snaps into the 2023 season and struggled during a dismal 2024 campaign, which led the Jets to move in a different direction at quarterback after hiring head coach Aaron Glenn this year.
Justin Fields was their choice, and he played well on Sunday, but the Steelers won 34-32 as Rodgers threw four touchdowns over the course of the afternoon. After the game, Rodgers was asked if he took particular satisfaction in beating Glenn, who delivered the message that his services weren’t wanted with the Jets.
“I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets,” Rodgers said in his postgame press conference.
Rodgers had downplayed Sunday’s game as just one of 17 in the days leading up to kickoff, but Week 1 often sets the tone for a season — and Rodgers was able to do just that against his former team.
