The big question for the Pittsburgh Steelers coming into the 2025 season was whether or not quarterback Aaron Rodgers could still play at a high level and help them compete for a Super Bowl.
It is only one game, but early returns were promising in their 34-32 win Sunday over Rodgers’ former team, the New York Jets.
Steelers have not had quarterback play like this in years
Even though the Steelers have consistently finished with winning records and made the playoffs the past few years, their quarterback play has been some of the worst in the NFL and significantly lowered their ceiling.
It was a totally different story on Sunday as Rodgers not only put up big numbers but also helped bail out a brutal defensive performance that almost cost the Steelers the game. In recent years, the Steelers giving up 32 points in a game would have been an automatic loss. That was not the case here.
Not only did Rodgers put up numbers and points — he completed 22-of-30 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions — he also seemed to have a control over the offense that recent Steelers quarterbacks have not had.
The Steelers looked efficient and cohesive, and they did something in the passing game that they had been avoiding for years: They used the middle of the field and found plenty of success with it.
Aaron Rodgers spread the ball around to everybody
Not only did Rodgers connect with new wide receiver DK Metcalf for some big plays — Metcalf caught four passes for 83 yards — he completed passes to seven different players, including four different players for touchdowns: Ben Skowronek, Jonnu Smith, Calvin Austin and Jaylen Warren.
That is an important development because another of the Steelers’ big question marks coming into this season was who would emerge as a No. 2 wide receiver after Metcalf.
Austin had a strong year in 2024, and second-year player Roman Wilson figures to play a bigger role after missing most of his rookie season due to injury. Neither player is a proven pass-catching option who is a clear No. 2.
The wild card in all of this was going to be the tight ends, where the Steelers go four deep with Smith, Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward. Freiermuth and Smith combined for eight catches and a touchdown on Sunday.
