NFL schedulers knew exactly what they were doing for Week 1 with the Jets versus Steelers matchup.
Despite numerous questions surrounding both the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets heading into the 2025-26 season, nobody could have predicted what occurred on the season-opening Sunday.
Entering his 21st year as a professional, rumours began circulating about Aaron Rodgers’ future in the NFL. Despite many signs pointing towards Rodgers’ retirement after the 2024-25 season, he ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Steelers, telling Pat McAfee it was the last hurrah:
“This was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I’ve had,” said Rodgers.
When the 2025 schedule was released, fans didn’t have to wait long to see what was going to be one of the most interesting fan-player welcomes in recent memory. Just two years ago, Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves through the football universe. The acquisition of Rodgers was supposed to skyrocket the Jets into the playoffs for the first time in years.
Yet, in just his first game in a Jets uniform, he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury that left fans in disbelief. The remainder of his tenure with the Jets was filled with mostly underwhelming performances and a lacklustre 2024 season, where the Jets finished 5-12. It didn’t help that Jets fans had turned on Rodgers for his poor play and lack of effort.
Fast forward to the 2025 season opener, Rodgers was the starting quarterback for the Steelers heading into a hostile MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
As for the Jets, expectations were low as usual. Some hopeful fans believed the newly acquired QB Justin Fields would be able to add some type of versatility to a position the Jets hadn’t had in years. Plus, they had just locked up star youngsters Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson to long-term deals. For Jets fans, this game was all about revenge and Aaron Rodgers became public enemy number one.
With a 41-year-old just two years off an Achilles tear and an unproven quarterback on a historically bad team, it was difficult to predict the outcome of the game.
To the surprise of many, the game started with five straight scoring possessions. Both quarterbacks looked engaged right from their first snap. Rodgers’ passing looked stellar as much of the Steelers’ offence was in the air. On the other hand, Fields and the Jets were rolling on all cylinders, capped off by a 33-yard pass to Garrett Wilson for a touchdown in the first quarter.
New York was in control for most of the half, with the defensive line getting to Rodgers on multiple occasions, led by a former Pro-Bowler, Quinnen Williams. The score heading into the second half was 19-17 in favour of the Jets.
Up until that point, Jets fans seemed happy with the outcome of the first half. Broadcaster JJ Watt mentioned an energy shift within the building as Steelers fans became overshadowed by cheers from the Jets’ faithful fans. Aside from a few defensive mistakes, all eyes were on Fields and his impressive run game.
As the third quarter came and went, New York held a steady nine-point lead going into the final frame. This was when the Jets did what they do best: choke away games.
After a costly fumble by Xavier Gipson on a punt return, the Steelers’ offence had its way for the rest of the game. Outsourcing the Jets 17-6 in the final frame, the Steelers closed out the game with a 60-yard field goal from Chris Boswell, followed by a shot of Rodgers on the sideline smiling with his fists pumped in the air.
With a final score of 34-32, this back-and-forth drama fest was set out to be the game of the week, until the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens tore the house down later that night. Seeing the Jets score over 10 points on any given night is a sight to see, but in a game where the offence is hot, it’s interesting to see if this marks a shift in the offensive output.
Other Key points
The Jets need a new field goal unit.
The Steelers showed how important experience is.
Don’t throw to Sauce Gardner (Led all CBs with a 90.3 PFF in Week 1).
The Williams brothers looked dominant.
Chris Boswell might be the best kicker in the NFL.
If Rodgers wasn’t already hated enough by Jets fans, in his post-game press conference, he was asked about beating Jets coach Aaron Glenn after Glenn told him he wasn’t the right fit for the team.
“I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets,” said Rodgers.
Regardless of how you look at the situation, it’s a slap in the face to Jets fans, as Rodgers mentioned he still has fondness towards people within the organization, yet beating his former team was “fun.”
For the Steelers, this game was something to build on, according to Head Coach Mike Tomlin. The long-time Steelers Head Coach told reporters in his post-game press conference how much he’s looking to work with this group.
“More than anything, man, I’m just excited for this group to face adversity and persevere […] I’m excited about the new Steelers […] We had a lot of plays from a lot of new Steelers,” said Tomlin.
Tomlin emphasized how intrigued he is with his new look squad. In a competitive AFC North division, it will be interesting to see how this young Steelers team performs.
As for the Jets, Head Coach Aaron Glenn was optimistic for his team after showing a lot of promise on the offensive side of the ball.
“Offensively, we did a lot of good things that we can build on. We gotta continue to work, the one thing I told my guys was we got Buffalo coming in here next week […] Only thing we can do is get back to work next week,” Glenn told reporters.
The first-year Head Coach kept things real with his players, discussing the turnovers and discipline as something that needed to be addressed.
“There were some penalties that happened in that game that were true discipline issues […] Because you will not be on the field with this team if you’re going to cause us to lose games,” said Glenn.
The Steelers head home to welcome the Seattle Seahawks, while the Jets host the Buffalo Bills in a divisional matchup in New Jersey for Week 2.