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Aaron Rodgers takes the field at MetLife Stadium. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

How Aaron Rodgers' Debut Stacks Up Among Cal Alums in the NFL

Originally posted on Cal Bears on SI | By Jeff Faraudo | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 1:45 PM ET

You only get one chance to make a good first impression and Aaron Rodgers, even at age 41, made about as good a first impression Sunday as any former Cal player on a new NFL team.

In fact, we believe Rodgers’ debut performance for the Pittsburgh Steelers was the best by any Golden Bear joining a team via trade or free agency.

First, let’s review the game Rodgers put together against the New York Jets, his team of the past two years that gave up on him after last season.

Rodgers, who played for Cal back in 2003 and ’04, completed 22 of 30 pass attempts for 244 yards with four touchdowns against the Jets. It was the 35th time time the four-time MVP has thrown four TDs in a game — tying him for third-most all-time — and the 27th time he accomplished that without an interception.

Then he directed the Steelers, playing without much contribution from their defense, into position to escape with a 34-32 victory, thanks to a franchise-record 60-yard field goal by Chris Boswell with 1:03 left.

"There were probably people in the (Jets) organization that didn't think I could play anymore," Rodgers told reporters after the game. "So, it was nice to remind those people that I still can.”

As debuts go, this one certainly topped what happened when Rodgers played his first game with the Jets.

That was on Sept. 11, 2023 against the Buffalo Bills. Rodgers threw incomplete on his only pass attempt before sustaining a torn Achilles that wiped out his entire season.

Two years later, his opening chapter with the Steelers — terrific numbers and a comeback victory on the road — earns him an A grade from us.

Here’s how we graded the debut performances of other ex-Golden Bears in their first game after switching teams:

— JARED GOFF: On Sept. 12, 2021, in his first game with Detroit after being traded by the Los Angeles Rams, Goff was 38 for 57 for 338 yards with three TDs and an interception in a 41-33 home loss to the 49ers. Grade: B-plus

— TONY GONZALEZ: A two-sport athlete at Cal who blossomed into the most prolific tight end in NFL history, Gonzalez spent his first 12 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. In his first game with the Atlanta Falcons, on Sept. 13, 2009, he caught five passes for 73 yards and a touchdown in a 19-7 win over Miami. Grade: A-minus

— DeSEAN JACKSON: After signing with Washington in the offseason, Jackson debuted on Sept. 7, 2014, catching eight passes for 62 yards and no TDs in a 17-6 loss to Houston. Grade: C

— JOE KAPP: The quarterback who led the Bears to their most recent Rose Bowl — two-thirds of a century ago on Jan. 1, 1959 — played his first eight seasons of professional ball in Canada. He finally got his chance in the NFL in 1967 with Minnesota. He led the Vikings to a Super Bowl in his third season, but his Sept. 22 debut was a dud: 8 for 18 passing for 144 yards with no TDs and two picks in a 39-3 loss to the Rams. Grade: F

— MARSHAWN LYNCH: Traded midseason by Buffalo to the Seattle Seahawks, the Oakland-born running back carried the ball 17 times for 44 yards — 2.6 yards per attempt — with a touchdown in a 23-20 win at Chicago. Grade: B

— CRAIG MORTON: An All-American for the Bears in 1964, got two second chances in the NFL, with mixed Day 1 results. On Oct. 27, 1974, after a midseason trade from Dallas to the New York Giants, Morton was intercepted three times and sacked four times in a 21-7 loss to his former team. Then, on Sept. 18, 1977, having joined the Denver Broncos, he compiled modest numbers but helped his team beat St Louis 7-0. His season ended in the Super Bowl . . . with a loss to the Cowboys. Grade: C

— CHUCK MUNCIE: After being traded from New Orleans to San Diego, Muncie carried the ball 10 times for 37 yards and a touchdown, caught a 12-yard pass and returned four kickoffs for 72 yards on Oct. 5, 1980 as the Chargers lost 26-24 to Buffalo. Grade: C-plus

This article first appeared on Cal Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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