NFL Schedule Leak: The Aaron Rodgers Revenge Game Against The Jets Is On The Docket
Yes, it is NFL schedule release day, and along with the accompanying official programming Wednesday evening, we've got schedule leaks throughout the day. And this one involving the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Aaron Rodgers is awesome.
The NFL schedule makers have outdone themselves with a Week 1 matchup in which the Pittsburgh Steelers will visit the New York Jets, a source confirmed.
Aaron Rodgers playing for the New York Jets. Photo: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Aaron Rodgers Saga Continues
Don't let it be said the NFL isn't about drama.
Anyone who knows anything about this offseason knows the biggest story has been about if/when Rodgers is going to decide his fate for 2025. He was cut by the Jets in March.
And the Pittsburgh Steelers are still seemingly confident they will be signing Rodgers before training camp.
We should also mention the separation between the Jets, specifically between coach Aaron Glenn and Rodgers, was not amicable.
So, if the schedule makers get their way, we're barreling headlong into the Aaron Rodgers Revenge Game at MetLife Stadium at 1 p.m. on Sept. 7.
Aaron Rodgers suffered a serious injury during his first game with the Jets. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Rodgers May Get Shot At Revenge
Assuming Rodgers indeed joins the Steelers, it's a chance for him to show the Jets they made a mistake by releasing him. It's a chance to get back at Glenn, if that's how Rodgers feels. It's also a chance for him to show all the critics of his two mostly disappointing seasons in New York that there was something else he could offer beyond rough game days.
And what if Rodgers doesn't play well?
We can be pretty certain the Jets will let it be known they feel like they made the right choice in moving on from the 41-year-old quarterback, however unceremonious that parting was.
There is, of course, a third possibility:
What if Rodgers retires? That possibility is still in play.
Well, the schedule makers got you covered. It's still a revenge game.
The Jets, you see, signed Justin Fields to a two-year contract worth $40 million after they decided to move on from Rodgers.
And Fields basically chose the Jets over re-signing with the Steelers to make the move.
PARADISE, Nev. - Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields (2) runs off the field after the Steelers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 32-13 at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 13, 2024. Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Justin Fields Also Faces High Stakes
Fields started six games for the Steelers at the beginning of last season before he was benched in favor of Russell Wilson. The Steelers had a 4-2 record in the games Fields started and he delivered a career-high 65.8 completion percentage.
So the Jets are gambling Fields can continue growing and perhaps be their lottery ticket to finding a permanent starting quarterback. And, if not, they move on just like the Bears and Steelers have.
This game makes for multiple storylines. And it's happening right off the bat, in Week 1, in the league's biggest media market.
Well done, NFL schedule makers.