Aaron Rodgers sounds off after leading Steelers to a win over Jets
Rodgers takes extra delight in Sunday's win against his former team

While he played it cool last week, there was no denying that Sunday's game carried extra significance for Aaron Rodgers, whose first game with the Steelers so happened to come against the Jets, the team that discarded him this offseason after two years in New York.
But after throwing four touchdowns in leading Pittsburgh to a 34-32 road win, Rodgers quickly let his true feelings out. He cupped his right hand over his air while staring at the stands as he exited the field with Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Rodgers then offered a blunt response when he asked about his satisfaction, specifically beating new Jets coach Aaron Glenn, the man who told himduring a brief, tense face-to-face meeting that his services were no longer required.
"There were probably people in the organization that didn't think I could play anymore, so it was nice to remind those people that I still can," Rodgers said.
Specifically asked about what it means to beat Glenn, Rodgers said, "I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets."
Pittsburgh is 1-0 largely because of Rodgers, who threw for 244 yards on 22 of 30 passing. His success on Sunday is more impressive when considering the fact that he signed with the Steelers just before the start of minicamp. Rodgers ran the offense at a relatively high level while completing passes to seven different teammates, including Ben Skowronek, a backup wideout who caught Rodgers' first touchdown pass as a Steeler.
"I don't think it hurt, the little trip that [Pat] Freiermuth put together to come out and see me out west," Rodgers said when asked about Pittsburgh's cohesion in the passing game while alluding to some of his teammates visiting him out in California in early July. "Ben was annoying the heck out of me all camp, trying to get me to go to the custard spot every single day. But Ben is a glue guy for our team. He does the dirty work. ... I really like Ben and proud of that play he made today."
Rodgers also liked the game was that was called by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Rodgers said that the play that led to Skowronek's touchdown was the same play that was called on his touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III hat gave Pittsburgh the lead early in the fourth quarter.
WIDE OPEN @CalvinAustinIII 🙌
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) September 7, 2025
📺: #PITvsNYJ on @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/6CU8YNCJZ5
"There's a lot of garbage being talked about myself or Arthur," Rodgers told Evan Wasburn. "How we're going to coexist. We've got a great relationship. He called a really good game. I gotta play a little better in spots, but happy to be 1-0."
"There's a lot of garbage being talked about myself or Arthur [Smith] ... how we're going to coexist. We've got a great relationship. He called a really good game."
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 7, 2025
- @steelers QB Aaron Rodgers to @EvanWashburn pic.twitter.com/2EWKw9XdFc
While he admitted that it meant something to beat his former team, Rodgers acknowledged that the feelings he had Sunday won't "come close" to the feelings when the Steelers host the Packers -- his NFL home for 18 years -- in Week 8.
"I was dreaming about the opportunity to step back on the field in the offseason and wondering how I would feel, and would the juices flow and would it hit my competitive spirit," Rodgers said. "There were a lot of moments where I was on the sideline, thanking my wife and friends for encouraging me to take time on my decision and this would be the right decision.
"Happy to be a Steeler and happy things went the way they did today."