Last spring, Aaron Rodgers took months to decide whether or not he would play during the 2025 NFL season.
The season then began on Sunday. And Rodgers, who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, looked like a future Hall of Fame quarterback who once made holes in defense throughout the league.
The same team that suddenly told Rodgers in the face of the New York Jets, informed him that his service was no longer wanted last winter, and the 41-year-old quarterback (the oldest active player in the league) had thrown four touchdowns to four different receivers by the beginning of the fourth quarter of the season’s opening game.
That alone was worth noting. He only had one game last season with four touchdown passes. But Rogers wasn’t finished.
The Steelers chased 32-31, with Rodgers and Pittsburgh regaining the ball with 3:13 left in the fourth quarter, 81 yards away from the end zone. The next seven plays were supported by two long completions from Rodgers and pass interference drawn on another pass, with the Steelers moving into position for a game-winning field goal to score 34-32.
Rodgers completed 22 of 30 passes for 244 yards and while he was fired four times he didn’t throw an intercept. He connected four times with DK Metcalf, the team’s other well-known offensive offseason signature, for a team-high 83 yards.
The game effectively featured quarterback swaps that neither team wanted after last season. Justin Fields, who lost his job to Russell Wilson after starting his first month in Pittsburgh last year, also made a comeback while running with two touchdowns, completing 16 of 22 passes for 218 yards and a touchdown.
Rodgers suggests that this could be the final NFL season of his career. His arm was regularly one of the strongest in the league, but coupled with recent performance degradation and many off-field headlines derived from his personal stance, there were only a few remaining teams interested in signing Rodgers during the offseason.
Through additions, including adding Metcalf and defensive back Jalen Ramsey to the offseason, Pittsburgh made the move to position itself as a candidate for the AFC. The biggest variable was Rogers. Throughout one game, he was their biggest asset.
