Following his first game as a Pittsburgh Steeler, former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers did not mince words about his former organization when speaking to the media after he led the Steelers to a 34-32 victory over the Jets to open their season.
“I was happy to beat everyone associated with the Jets,” Rodgers told reporters fresh off his first win in the black and gold.
He also taunted Jets fans as he exited the field following the matchup.
Rodgers turned in a gaudy box score in the Steelers’ win, going 22 of 30 (73.3%) for 244 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. But the clean sheet masked a few shaky moments, including four sacks and two dropped would-be picks.
The 41-year-old got his much-wanted revenge against the organization that moved on from him earlier in the offseason, and he clearly took it personally.
Now in his 40s and no longer mobile, Rodgers proved Sunday that he still has the arm strength, accuracy, and poise to command an NFL offense.
Sunday marked Rodgers’ first season-opening win since 2017, when he led the Green Bay Packers past the Seattle Seahawks 17-9 with a late scoring drive capped by an 11-second touchdown pass to Davante Adams.
Rodgers made it clear this one meant more. At 41, he might not move like he used to, but his arm is still there. Four touchdowns against the Jets wasn’t just a win for his new team; it was a little slice of revenge, and Rodgers enjoyed every second of it.