‘Happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets,' Aaron Rodgers shines in Steelers debut

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Try as he might, no matter how many times before and after his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers that Aaron Rodgers repeated the, “It’s Week 1,” mantra, ultimately, Rodgers relented.

Yes, earning a victory at the expense of his former team meant something a little extra to him.

“I was happy,” Rodgers said after Sunday’s 34-32 Steelers victory, “to beat everybody associated with the Jets.”

The Steelers were, likewise, happy they had Rodgers, who played a significant role in engineering that win.

Rodgers had the franchise’s first four-touchdown passing performance in almost five years. A four-time NFL MVP, Rodgers completed 22 of 30 passes for 244 yards with no interceptions and a stellar 136.7 passer rating while playing against the team that unceremoniously cut him in March.

“I didn’t have any hard feelings about it not working out,” Rodgers said of his two-season tenure with the Jets after he spent the first 18 years with the Green Bay Packers. “Now, I didn’t maybe appreciate the way that (the Jets releasing him) went down in the end, but that’s in the past and we’re 1-0.”

The Steelers wouldn’t be 1-0 if not for Rodgers’ calmness and clutch throws during three scoring drives in the fourth quarter. On the first play of the period, he hit Jaylen Warren for a 5-yard touchdown. Only 50 seconds of game time later — after the Jets fumbled a kickoff — Rodgers hit Calvin Austin III for an 18-yard score.

Then, upon taking over at the Steelers’ 19 with his team down one point with 3 minutes, 13 seconds left, Rodgers guided the Steelers just far enough into range for Chris Boswell to hit the go-ahead 60-yard field goal.

“I can just tell how poised he was,” running back Kenneth Gainwell said. “No high energy, just keeping everybody calm and just getting us to an opportunity, a chance to get points on the board.”

Rodgers had touchdown passes to Ben Skowronek (22 yards) and Jonnu Smith (a shovel pass for 2 yards) in the first half.

It had been six starting quarterbacks and 73 Steelers regular-season games since Ben Roethlisberger had four touchdown passes during a 36-10 win at the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 15, 2020.

“He’s everything I’ve thought he was when I’ve been watching him since I was 2 years old,” Smith said of the 41-year-old Rodgers. “He is who he is for a reason, man. And we saw it today, yeah.

“When you’ve been around a guy like that who’s been in that many scenarios in his career, and he’s executed time in and time out, you kind of know what the outcome is gonna be.”

Rodgers became the Steelers’ sixth starting quarterback over a 24-game span dating to December 2023. He was coming off an Achilles injury that cost him all but four snaps of his 2023 season for the Jets, and then the worst production of his career in 2024 with New York.

That compelled new coach Aaron Glenn to release Rodgers, telling him only after he had flown cross-country to meet face-to-face.

“It was nice to win,” Rodgers said Sunday, “especially hearing some of the catcalls out there and the boo birds. I’m not sensitive about that. I expected that. I kinda like that, but there were probably people in the organization that didn’t think I could play anymore. So it was nice to remind those people that I still can.”

The Steelers certainly believe Rodgers can play, as evidenced by them waiting until June before he committed to sign.

Sunday showed why. Not only did Rodgers become the first quarterback in at least 60 years to have at least 240 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in a debut with a team, he did so while leading late-game, come-from-behind drives.

“I just thought he was ‘game’ all day,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “But (reporters) asked me last week why I was confident (in Rodgers). That’s why I was confident. That’s what I’ve been looking at in preparation. And I’m appreciative of it.”