After the Pittsburgh Steelers’ thrilling Week 1 win over the New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers was happy to get a little revenge on his former team. The Jets parted ways with Rodgers after his contract expired in the offseason, but how justified was his anger?
Rodgers threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns as he led a fourth-quarter comeback against the Jets in a 34-32 win. In his postgame press conference, Rodgers admitted the win meant a little extra to him.
“I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets,” Rodgers said.
It was clear that Rodgers felt slighted by the Jets, but CBS Sports’ own Jonathan Jones says the veteran quarterback has little reason to harbor ill will toward his former team. In an appearance on CBS Sports HQ, Jones said the Jets went out of their way to accommodate Rodgers.
“Was he so wronged by this organization?” Jones said. “The Achilles happens, they stand by him as they should have, he comes back next year and they do everything to cater to him. They kept Nathaniel Hackett for a year and a half too long. They brought in all of his receivers. It didn’t work out for a variety of reasons. … But it’s not like he had 20 years with this organization and they did him dirty.”
There is no denying that the Jets bent over backward to make Rodgers happy in his two seasons there. Between player acquisitions and coaching staff hires, Rodgers’ influence was evident throughout his tenure.
- Signed veteran WR Randall Cobb
- Signed WR Allen Lazard to four-year, $44 million contract
- Hired Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator
- Traded third-round pick to acquire Davante Adams from Raiders
In Rodgers’ debut with the Jets in 2023, he suffered a torn Achilles and worked his way back for the 2024 season. Coming off the injury, Rodgers turned in a highly disappointing season last year. He threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while posting just 6.7 yards per attempt, the lowest mark of his career.
All that resulted in the Jets finishing 5-12, missing the playoffs again and making changes at coach and general manager.
From that perspective, it’s not shocking that the Jets went in a different direction at quarterback, signing Justin Fields to replace Rodgers. However, the way the Jets informed Rodgers that they wouldn’t bring him back is what really ruffled the quarterback’s feathers.
During an offseason interview with “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers said he flew “across the country on my own dime” for a meeting with new head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey. Almost immediately, Glenn informed Rodgers that he would not be back in New York.
“And I was kinda shocked,” Rodgers said. “Not because I didn’t think that was a possibility … but shocked because I just flew across the country and you could’ve told me this on the phone. … And this is verbatim, exactly how it happened. … And he goes, ‘We just wanna know how you want it released, the messaging.’ And I said, ‘I don’t give a shit about the messaging.'”
Given that context, it’s a little easier to understand why Rodgers got some added satisfaction out of breaking the Jets’ hearts on Sunday afternoon. Hopping on a cross-country flight only to be told — shortly after arriving at the office — that you’ve essentially been fired would upset anyone.
Whether Rodgers felt righteous anger in his grudge match against the Jets can be debated, but rivalries make sports more fun. There are heroes and villains, and in the case of Rodgers’ story, he vanquished a villain with some dramatic flair on Sunday.