No revenge game for Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers
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PITTSBURGH -- If Aaron Rodgers is looking to gain a measure of revenge against the New York Jets a few months after being cut for the first time in his professional life, he's keeping it to himself.
Yes, Rodgers is looking forward to Sunday's trip to MetLife Stadium with the rest of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but only because it marks the start of his 21st and perhaps final season.
And that's it. Publicly anyway.
Rodgers brushed aside the idea that he has something to prove to the New York front office and first-year head coach Aaron Glenn after the Jets opted to move on from the 41-year-old over the winter following two injury-filled and at times tumultuous seasons.
While Rodgers name-checked more than a half dozen former teammates on Wednesday -- including cornerback Sauce Gardner and running back Michael Carter -- he stopped short when asked if he's kept in touch with them since Glenn and recently hired Jets general manager Darren Mougey told the four-time MVP in early February that New York was not going to bring him back.
"I'm not going to tell you that," Rodgers said.
Or, much of anything else about whatever significance an inspired bit of scheduling by the NFL might hold.
The closest anyone came to pulling back the curtain is Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, who said Rodgers has a "bad taste in his mouth from previous years" and wants to go out and win as many games as he can.
That didn't happen nearly enough for all involved during his time with the Jets, where Rodgers missed all but a handful of snaps of the 2023 season because of a torn left Achilles, then was part of a 5-12 slog last fall that saw the organization fire head coach Robert Saleh.
The season ended with Rodgers saying he needed a mental break before deciding whether to return in 2025. The Jets' new regime wasn't in the mood to wait around, leading to a series of events that ended with Rodgers signing a one-year deal with the Steelers in June.
After taking a few months to help those in his inner circle deal with health problems before agreeing to terms with the Steelers, Rodgers is focusing on the "new new" in Pittsburgh, not a chapter of his career that's now firmly in his rearview mirror.
And he likes what he's seen in Pittsburgh, even though the first snap Rodgers takes from center Zach Frazier on Sunday will be his first in live game action since beating Miami on the final day of the 2024 season.
Elsewhere:
– The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles face their bitter divisional rival in the NFL season opener tonight in a matchup that's lost a little luster. Micah Parsons won't be there chasing Jalen Hurts, pursuing Saquon Barkley and making life difficult for left tackle Jordan Mailata. The Dallas Cowboys traded the two-time All-Pro pass rusher to the Green Bay Packers last week following a contract dispute. Dak Prescott returns for the Cowboys and George Pickens joins CeeDee Lamb to give them another playmaking wide receiver. But how will the Cowboys stop Philadelphia's dynamic offense without Parsons? Jerry Jones got his run-stuffer in the trade with Green Bay. Maybe Kenny Clark helps limit Barkley to under 200 yards rushing. If there's no pressure on Hurts, he can pick apart the defense throwing to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. The Eagles are 8.5-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Pro Picks likes the champs even though Prescott is 9-4 vs. Philadelphia. Eagles 31-20
– Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have something to prove on Friday night in Brazil after a 17-win season ending with a lopsided loss to the Eagles in the Super Bowl. The Chargers drafted running back Omarion Hampton in the first round to take pressure off quarterback Justin Herbert. They were 9-0 when they had more than 100 yards rushing last season. The Chiefs had the eighth-best run defense, giving up 101.8 yards per game. Chiefs: 26-20
– New York Jets right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker has an arm injury that could sideline him for a significant part of the season. The offensive lineman was listed Wednesday on the team's injury report as not participating in practice with a triceps issue. A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Vera-Tucker was injured, but spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce the specifics of the injury. The Jets host t the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.