Steelers vs Jets in Week 1 becomes must-watch as Aaron Rodgers faces former team in revenge showdown

The 2025 NFL season is kicking off with one of the most compelling matchups of the year—and it has nothing to do with last season’s playoff picture. When the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Jets on September 7 at 1 p.m.

EST, the spotlight won’t just be on the game itself, but on the men under center: Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields. Two franchises. Two quarterbacks. One shared mission—redemption.

NFL sets up spicy revenge plot: Aaron Rodgers meets Jets in his Steelers debut in Week 1

Aaron Rodgers officially agreed to join the Steelers and is expected to attend their upcoming minicamp. The four-time MVP will return to MetLife in Week 1, not as the Jets’ long-awaited savior, but as the leader of a Pittsburgh team that hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2016-17 season.

Meanwhile, his counterpart Justin Fields—who was once the Steelers’ hopeful solution at quarterback—will be making his Jets debut against the very team that let him go.The offseason shuffle between these two organizations was nothing short of dramatic. Fields led the Steelers to a respectable 4-2 start last year, tossing just one interception in six starts, yet was benched in favor of veteran Russell Wilson. Despite chatter about a potential return to Pittsburgh, Fields opted for a fresh start with the Jets, inking a two-year, $40 million deal, with $30 million guaranteed.

Rodgers’ time in New York, on the other hand, felt like a rollercoaster that never left the station. His much-hyped debut was cut short just four snaps into the season due to an Achilles injury. What followed was a chaotic and ultimately unproductive second year, leading to what many now view as a mutual breakup between the quarterback and the franchise.Now, both players enter the 2025 season with something to prove. Fields is aiming to show that the early flashes of promise in Pittsburgh weren’t a fluke—and that he can lead a franchise if given a stable environment.

Rodgers, on the other hand, doesn’t need to validate his legacy, but the 40-year-old isn’t returning just to ride into retirement. He’s here to win—and help Pittsburgh return to relevance.While the actual on-field product remains to be seen, the storylines are already electric. This quarterback swap wasn’t just a player-for-player transaction—it was a philosophical shift by both franchises. Rodgers reportedly signed a one-year deal in the $20 million range—ironically close to Fields’ annual figure—further fueling the narrative that these two were essentially traded in spirit, if not on paper.“A lot of factors were at play,” reports say, highlighting internal tensions in New York and a lack of long-term commitment in Pittsburgh. Still, both teams had chances to retain their quarterbacks—and both chose not to.Come Week 1, the pressure will be immense. Fields wants to prove he's a franchise quarterback. Rodgers wants to show he’s still capable of leading a playoff-caliber squad. For fans, this isn’t just another season opener—it’s a chapter in a larger story that could define each team's future.In a league that thrives on drama, the NFL might have just delivered its most emotionally charged Week 1 clash in years.Also Read: Will the Steelers allow Aaron Rodgers to wear a number that's unofficially retired?