The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a fantastic start to the 2025 season after current quarterback Aaron Rodgers has proven that he can still play at an elite level. He's thrown for 1,270 yards and 14 touchdowns, with only five interceptions so far throughout the year. Many insiders and experts believed the Steelers would not see much success with Rodgers at the quarterback position. They preferred that the team should've kept one of two former quarterbacks in Justin Fields or Russell Wilson, believing that either one would lead the Steelers to more success through the same timeframe into the season than Rodgers would ever bring by himself.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during a regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, while Rodgers continues to thrive in Pittsburgh, the same cannot be said for either Wilson or Fields, with Fields in particular coming under some recent scrutiny for his particularly poor performance throughout the 2025 season. Through six games this year, Fields, now starting for the New York Jets, has only thrown four touchdowns and zero interceptions, but has fumbled a staggering three times and was benched in last week's loss to the Carolina Panthers, 13-6. Two days after that horrific loss for the Jets, Fields was indirectly called out by Jets Owner Woody Johnson when he spoke to the media at the NFL's Fall League Meeting in New York, as Johnson fielded questions regarding the status of Jets Head Coach Aaron Glenn.
"If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you're going to see similar results across the league. You have to play consistently at that position, and that's what we're going to try to do."#Jets owner Woody Johhnson sounds off: https://t.co/GRq7wMlEBt
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2025
It seems clear that the Steelers dodged a massive bullet by letting Fields go in the offseason and bringing in Rodgers. It's not to say that the Jets' recent woes are all on Fields, but the production at the quarterback level has to be up to par with league standards. They've certainly fallen short with Fields thus far.
There were plenty of statements made around the league regarding Rodgers' potential with the Steelers, and so far, Rodgers has proven the ones who had faith in him right through six weeks. The offense has been able to move the ball consistently, and they've been able to limit the turnover count greatly with Rodgers under center, compared to what could have been had either Fields or Wilson remained with the Steelers by this point in the season.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Ex-Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (2) during a regular season game against the Cleveland Browns in 2024.
It's clear that Johnson's comments were solely made to keep Glenn around, referencing that most teams in the league would struggle with the level of quarterback play Fields has given the Jets through six weeks. While the Jets seem to be trending down with the ex-Steelers quarterback at the helm, the Steelers appear to be trending upward with Rodgers, the ex-Jets quarterback at the helm, which seems to have vindicated the ones around the league who remarked that bringing Rodgers in would both save his career, and save the Steelers organization.
Steelers Rewarded For Smart Decision Making By Signing Rodgers
Rodgers has currently led the Steelers to a 4-2 record as the team sits atop the AFC North through seven weeks. The collective outlook could theoretically be much worse if Fields had remained the starter, and his performance as the Jets starting quarterback through seven weeks has shown this well. The Steelers not only benefit well from Rodgers' much higher level of play, but the team benefits from his experience and leadership as a whole, as the entire locker room appears more unified around their starting quarterback as the team prepares to enter one of the tougher stretches of their schedule. This is after losing a close matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers tight end Jonnu Smith (81) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during a regular season game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Steelers should be poised to continue this upward trend with Rodgers leading the team, as the franchise's performance on offense has significantly improved along with his own. This will be crucial going forward for the Steelers. On the opposite side, the Jets continue to trend downward with Fields at the helm, proving the Steelers front office was likely right about letting him walk.
What do you think about the comments made about ex-Steelers quarterback Justin Fields? Should the Steelers have let him walk or not? Let us know in the comments or on X at @SteelersSwamp7.
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