What Insider Said About Jets-Aaron Rodgers Before Week 1

The New York Jets are going to face off against the Pittsburgh Steelers and old quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Sunday afternoon.

With the game approaching, there's been a lot of noise out there about the Jets and Rodgers. The last two years, Rodgers brought a lot of hope to the franchise, but also some disappointment. When Rodgers joined the Jets, there was hope that he was going to immediately take the team to another level. New York built the roster around Rodgers but his Achilles injury ended his first season before it could really take off. Last year, the Jets got Rodgers back but the season just didn't work out.

New York cleaned house this offseason and that included Rodgers. Now, he's with the Steelers. A lot has been made about the breakup, but The Athletic's Dianna Russini noted prior to the Week 1 showdown that she has heard that "there’s no sense of lingering bad blood" between New York and Rodgers.

The New York Jets will face off against their old friend on Sunday

Aug 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during the first quarter Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

"The New York Jets on Sunday will face their former quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who I’m told, has quietly had a phenomenal training camp for the Steelers," Russini said. "Rodgers, according to folks I’ve talked with in Pittsburgh, looks refreshed, healthy, and ready to roll.

"And while the Belichick-Patriots divorce remains messy, there’s no sense of lingering bad blood between Rodgers and the Jets; both sides believe the split was the right move. But if the future Hall of Famer walks back into MetLife Stadium and lights it up in Week 1, it will be hard for owner Woody Johnson and even Jets fans not to think, 'What could have been...'"

The Jets will welcome Rodgers back to town with a 1 p.m. ET kick-off on Sunday and then the two sides will go in a different direction. Rodgers made it sound like the 2025 season will be his last. The Jets can't say they didn't try with Rodgers. They landed a future Hall of Famer who wanted to come to town. The two sides tried to make it work, but now they will see each other on opposite sidelines.

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