Revenge game? Aaron Rodgers' view of Jets clash is revealed by Steelers teammate

One may assume that Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers has extra motivation heading into this coming Sunday's Week 1 game at the New York Jets after the new Jets regime moved on from the veteran quarterback earlier this year. 

Steelers left tackle Broderick Jones indicated that Rodgers hasn't mentioned anything about wanting revenge as Pittsburgh prepares for the clash at MetLife Stadium.

"Honestly, he hasn’t made a big deal out of it," Jones recently said about Rodgers' mindset concerning the Jets contest, according to Antwan Staley of the New York Daily News. "I think that’s good for us and even for him because just going in there with a clear mind and not having that Superman mentality. Just going in there, stick to our game plan."

The Jets' Aaron Rodgers era was a massive disappointment

The Jets never truly had Rodgers at his MVP-level best after they acquired him from the Green Bay Packers in the spring of 2023. He famously suffered a torn Achilles tendon just four offensive snaps into his first season with the organization, and he then dealt with multiple physical setbacks as the 2024 Jets went 5-12. 

For a lengthy piece published on Wednesday morning, ESPN's Rich Cimini noted that first-year Jets head coach Aaron Glenn and new Jets general manager Darren Mougey told Rodgers the club would be going in a different direction regarding its quarterback situation during a Feb. 6 meeting that lasted "less than 15 minutes." Rodgers later ripped the Jets for making him travel across the country "on his own dime" just to be told he was out of a job. 

Not long after Rodgers signed a team-friendly contract to join the Steelers in June, Jets cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner revealed he hadn't "been in touch as much" with the 41-year-old signal-caller throughout the spring. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Gardner hinted that he expects Rodgers will have a chip on his shoulder when the future Hall of Famer takes the field this Sunday.

"I mean, we’re all human," Gardner explained, per Andy Vasquez of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "We use a lot of things as motivation. There’s things every day I use for motivation. I’m sure there are guys in this locker room who could say the same exact thing. So, that’s just how I feel about that."

Aaron Rodgers also downplayed the Week 1 game vs. the Jets

Rodgers insisted ahead of Labor Day that this Sunday's matchup will be just "one game out of 17" he plans to play this season. It will be interesting to see what he and others have to say about his return to MetLife Stadium once the contest wraps up. 

As of Wednesday morning, ESPN BET had the Steelers as 2.5-point betting favorites over the Jets.