The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the start of the 2025 NFL season as the organization is getting ready to travel to New Jersey to play the New York Jets on Sunday. There are a ton of storylines going into this contest, as the starting quarterbacks from the two sides essentially swapped spots during the 2025 offseason. Justin Fields of the Jets started in six games for Pittsburgh in 2024, and he played well. Aaron Rodgers was the starter for New York in 2024, and things didn't go as planned. He was released by the Jets after the 2024 season, which is part of how he wound up in Pittsburgh.
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Former New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers stands in front of the media during his introductory press conference in May of 2023 after being traded to the organization.
Rodgers spent two seasons with the Jets, although he missed nearly the entire 2023 season with a serious Achilles injury. He returned in 2024, and it took him some time to feel comfortable as he seemed a little rusty to begin the year. He had a solid second half of the season, but the new head coach in New York, Aaron Glenn, decided he wanted to move on from Rodgers after he took the job during the 2024 offseason.
Glenn spoke to the media on Tuesday, and he was asked about whether or not his defense has an advantage after practicing against Rodgers and getting to know him over the last two years.
"You know what, I do," Glenn said. "I do, but man, this guy is a vet. He's seen it all. He's went against a number of guys. But I do think there is some value to our guys, being able to be a part of that. Here's what I do know also. I know that those guys had a really good relationship, and he's talked to them just about football in general. You know, and our guys, they really took that in. They've grown from all those things. There's value to being on a team with a player like that, I know that he helped those guys a lot."
Glenn believes players on the Jets' defense have some advantage due to the fact that they practiced against Rodgers for the better part of the last two years, while he also thinks they have learned some lessons from Rodgers just from being his teammate. This could be an advantage for New York, but Rodgers has been in the league for over 20 years. He knows how to play against opponents that might know a good bit about how he sees the game.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks at his play sheet during training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Glenn might believe that his team has an advantage, when in reality, the advantage falls in Pittsburgh's favor. New York's starting quarterback spent the 2024 season in Pittsburgh as mentioned, and he has much less experience than Rodgers. Pittsburgh's defense might know how to take advantage of Fields and bait him into making mistakes, while also being able to contain him on the ground. Both sides are familiar with the other in this contest, and the quarterback with more experience will likely be the one that ends up coming out on top.
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Former Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (7) looks on during a drill at training camp at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center.
Steelers Should Be Able To Make Life Rough For Justin Fields
The reports out of New York during training camp have not been great when it comes to Fields. He has struggled with his accuracy, and it seems like the same issues that have always plagued him continue to do so. Pittsburgh upgraded in the secondary and still has one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, so Sunday could be real tough on Fields. The young quarterback has had turnover issues in his career, and there is a good chance the Pittsburgh defense will be able to create several of them in MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
What do you think about Glenn's remarks regarding Rodgers? Let us know in the comments below!
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