The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for the 2025 season opener on Sunday against the New York Jets. On paper, this is a game that the Steelers should be able to win rather convincingly, but things are still up in the air due to the sheer amount of new faces that have been brought into Pittsburgh during the 2025 offseason. It is hard to turn over as many parts of the roster as the Steelers did and find immediate success, which is why some members of the fan base are preparing themselves for a bit of a slow start, especially from the offensive side of the ball and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Rodgers is entering his first season in Pittsburgh and he is taking on his former team in his first start. This is a major storyline in the NFL heading into Week 1, and it is going to be an interesting game to watch due to this. Rodgers ended the 2024 season with a streak of good individual performances, and hopefully that is a trend that he is able to continue.
Jets beat-writer Zack Rosenblatt recently conducted a mailbag for The Athletic, and he was asked about some Jets players that are flying under the radar for Sunday's game. He decided to take a negative approach, as he mentioned some weaknesses on the defense that Rodgers could take advantage of.
"I’ll go with the starting safeties, Andre Cisco and Tony Adams," Rosenblatt wrote. "Both had up-and-down camps and safety is the clear weakness on the Jets’ defense. Rodgers knows he can attack the safeties in this defense, especially with Sauce Gardner likely traveling with DK Metcalf on the outside. Cisco and Adams will be under pressure to simply do their jobs and not make any mental mistakes that Rodgers can capitalize on, whether in coverage or in terms of tackling."
New York has a good defense that has some young stars in the making, but the safety position is definitely a weak spot. Andre Cisco signed with the Jets during the 2025 offseason and he had a rocky training camp, while Tony Adams was an undrafted rookie for the Jets back in 2022 that has continued to make the team. According to Rosenblatt, both players struggled a bit in training camp, which is something Rodgers could be aware of.
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Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Rosenblatt shared that star cornerback Sauce Gardner will likely be following DK Metcalf everywhere he goes on the field, which will allow Rodgers to target the safeties who will be matched up with slot wide receivers and tight ends. Players like Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith could have big days over the middle of the field as Rodgers will look to benefit from an advantageous matchup with two struggling safeties.
Rodgers is often praised for his physical abilities, and many consider him to be one of the best passers to ever play the position. However, he does not get enough credit for how smart he is. He can dissect a defense as well as anyone, and his experience has only made his mind stronger heading into these matchups.
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Steelers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers (8) and Will Howard (18) chatting it up during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Knows His Former Teammates
Cisco just joined the Jets, but Rodgers is familiar with both Adams and Gardner. Those three were on the team together for two seasons, and Rodgers would go against both players during practices. The quarterback should be able to take advantage of them as he likely has a good idea of their tendencies and how they like to play coverage in certain situations. This could come into play for Pittsburgh on Sunday, especially if the Jets are able to keep the Steelers from finding any success on the ground.
What do you think is going to happen on Sunday? How will Rodgers play? Let us know in the comments below!
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