Rodgers Back At Scene Of His Darkest Day For Pittsburgh Steelers Debut

NFL 2025 season

Dates: 4 September 2025 - 8 February 2026

BBC coverage: Live matter sum each Sunday connected nan BBC Sport website and app (from 18:00 BST), and unrecorded power commentary of selected games connected BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, pinch Detroit Lions astatine Green Bay Packers this Sunday (from 21:00 BST)

It was an evening that promised truthful overmuch for Aaron Rodgers, nan New York Jets and their long-suffering fans.

More than half a period aft their only Super Bowl win, nan Jets yet had a backmost tin of starring them backmost to NFL glory.

Having built a championship-calibre roster, nan Jets added a superstar conscionable 2 years removed from his 4th MVP award.

Now Rodgers was astir to make his Jets debut and moments earlier kick-off astatine MetLife Stadium, nan lights were dimmed for him to make a expansive entrance.

It was nan 22nd day of 9/11 and nan crowd roared pinch excitement arsenic Rodgers charged onto nan section carrying an American flag.

But nan euphoria soon turned despair. Just 4 plays into his Jets career, Rodgers went down pinch what proved to beryllium a season-ending Achilles injury.

NFL writer Melissa Jacobs told BBC's Sport Today that it was "the azygous astir devastating infinitesimal for a franchise successful NFL history".

Two years on, nan 41-year-old returns to nan segment of his darkest day, to make his debut for nan Pittsburgh Steelers against nan squad that conscionable released him.

"The hype was disconnected nan charts," says New York-based sportswriter Ian O'Connor.

He already felt that Rodgers was nan "most compelling and polarising figure" successful nan NFL and his bid to triumph a title for "a loser-ville franchise successful nan NFL's biggest market" inspired him to write a Rodgers biography., external

O'Connor had followed nan Jets' sorry hunt for a successor to legendary backmost Joe Namath, which had turned them into a laughing stock. They person grounded to scope nan post-season since 2011, nan longest existent play-off drought successful nan NFL.

But, aft 18 years and a Super Bowl triumph pinch nan Green Bay Packers, Rodgers was fresh to switch nan NFL's smallest marketplace for nan Big Apple and relished his caller lifestyle.

He made galore nationalist appearances and Jets fans warmed to their caller prima aft seeing really he was portrayed successful nan Hard Knocks series, which followed nan Jets' training camp.

"I've been covering sports successful New York for almost 4 decades and I've ne'er seen a superstar jock from different marketplace embracing New York for illustration Aaron Rodgers did," O'Connor told BBC Sport. "It was a full love-fest.

"Jets fans couldn't get capable of it. New Yorkers really embraced him and didn't attraction astir his vaccine views aliases conspiracy theories.

"They didn't attraction astir thing isolated from his shot talent and nan chance to spot nan Jets scope nan Super Bowl for nan first clip since Neil Armstrong stepped connected nan satellite (1969).

"To person that ripped distant 4 plays into nan season, it was a reliable night. I was successful nan building and I've ne'er been much heart-sick for an jock and a fanbase."

Without Rodgers, nan Jets vanished nan 2023 play pinch a 7-10 grounds and though he returned past year, caput coach Robert Saleh was sacked arsenic nan Jets slumped to 5-12.

O'Connor said that Rodgers planned for "two patient seasons pinch nan Jets". He sewage conscionable 1 as, successful February, caller coach Aaron Glenn and wide head Darren Mougey said they wanted to spell "in a different direction".

Even aft Rodgers returned from injury, it seemed nan Jets were ne'er capable to shingle that emotion of what mightiness person been.

There were issues passim past season, but this twelvemonth offered nan Jets a chance to commencement afresh aft going each successful connected Rodgers did not activity out.

Rick Spielman has go nan Jets' elder shot advisor and helped behaviour what he calls an "after-action review" connected behalf connected squad proprietor Woody Johnson, nan erstwhile US ambassador to nan UK.

"You study each year, you look backmost and reflect," he told BBC Sport. "You reside those difficult decisions and Ambassador Johnson is very honed successful connected making judge that nan New York Jets yet triumph different Super Bowl."

This twelvemonth nan Jets' roster has seen much turnover than immoderate different NFL team, and they travel into nan 2025 play pinch a caller caput coach, caller wide head and caller quarterback.

Justin Fields will play for his 3rd squad successful 3 years and, coincidentally, nan 26-year-old was astatine Pittsburgh past play truthful some he and Rodgers will look their erstwhile squad connected Sunday.

"I cognize nan media are saying 'they're not going to triumph that galore games' aliases 'it's a rebuild'," Spielman added. "To me, it's not a rebuild. There's a batch of caller faces but I deliberation nan Jets are going to astonishment a batch of group this year."

An unnamed Jets subordinate told ESPN, external that he respected nan caller leadership's swift determination connected Rodgers because it was "like cutting disconnected nan caput of nan snake".

They past brought successful Fields, a very different subordinate and characteristic to Rodgers, and Jets coach Glenn suggested nan veteran's floor plan was a distraction by saying that Fields is "not trying to beryllium a personage quarterback".

Jets defender Alijah Vera-Tucker, who has suffered a season-ending triceps injury, told BBC Sport: "Aaron brought a small much of everything, but that's earthy for a four-time MVP. I deliberation Aaron enjoyed his clip here, I enjoyed his clip here, but now it's successful nan past."

Away from nan agleam lights of New York, Rodgers is trying to make friends successful Pittsburgh and build chemistry pinch his caller team-mates.

The Steelers person struggled astatine backmost since Ben Roethlisberger's status aft nan 2021 season. They wanted to support Fields, who spent astir of past play arsenic back-up, but he chose nan Jets.

And though Fields says location are nary difficult feelings earlier Sunday's reunion, he admits "the storyline is crazy. I mean, that's why nan NFL group america up for week one".

Rodgers has said that his Jets entranceway was 1 of his fewer "special moments" successful New York.

This week he played down nan value of moving retired of that aforesaid tunnel, but Sunday's match-up gives each parties an opportunity to find closure.