Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Aaron Rodgers celebrates win over Jets after stellar Steelers debut

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 8:01 AM ET

New Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers still looks good and still holds grudges.

Rodgers made his debut for the Steelers on Sunday in a road game against the New York Jets, his former team. New York cut Rodgers this offseason after he posted a 6-12 starting record in two seasons with the club.

The 41-year-old QB got his revenge on Sunday, leading the Steelers to a 34-32 victory. In his postgame news conference, he made sure to let reporters know how he felt about the win.

Aaron Rodgers admits it felt great to beat Jets

"I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets," Rodgers said when asked how he felt about beating his former team.

Aaron Rodgers says it was satisfying to beat the Jets given how his exit from the team went down:

"I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets" pic.twitter.com/8wP9k5ZEDB
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) September 7, 2025

In March, Jets owner Woody Johnson said he, new head coach Aaron Glenn and new general manager Darren Mougey agreed to cut Rodgers.

Rodgers has said the decision "shocked" him. He then explained he was surprised the Jets made him fly back out to their facility instead of telling him of his release over a phone call. The Jets could've shown more respect to Rodgers, but at the time, it seemed like the right choice for the team.

Rodgers suffered a season-ending right Achilles injury in his first season with the team. When healthy, he underwhelmed. The four-time MVP completed a below-average 62.9% of his passes for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 18 games with the Jets.

Unsurprisingly, many have suggested the future Hall of Famer is washed up. Pair that with his bitterness about the Jets releasing him, and that may be giving Rodgers plenty of motivation this season.

That was apparent in his excellent performance on Sunday. Rodgers finished 22-of-30 passing for 244 yards and four TDs against the Jets.

Rodgers has already indicated the 2025 season will likely be his last. On his way out, he still wants to settle some scores. He started Sunday with the Jets.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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