Aaron Rodgers is a Pittsburgh Steeler, and there’s a lot of excitement to go along with that. There are some high expectations, with Rodgers possibly representing the best quarterback play the Steelers have seen in half a decade. However, the New York Jets had similarly high expectations for Rodgers in both 2023 and 2024, and neither of those years went according to plan. There’s been some fallout between Rodgers and the Jets, and some of that was explained in an article from the Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt on Tuesday. Specifically, Rosenblatt described the relationship between Rodgers and Garrett Wilson, one of the top young wide receivers in the NFL.
“By the end of last season, Wilson and Rodgers weren’t exactly the best of friends,” Rosenblatt wrote. “A relationship that started with promise ended with each taking subtle shots at each other in press conferences. Privately, Rodgers complained about Wilson’s tendency to freelance on routes, and there was frustration from Wilson — and others — about how Rodgers was funneling targets to Davante Adams, shying away from running the ball and ignoring Wilson in the red zone.”
After Rodgers missed the entire 2023 season due to a torn Achilles, the expectations ramped up even higher in 2024. When things didn’t go well, everything seemed to crumble around the Jets.
Going into the 2024 season, most expected Rodgers to have the offense around him necessary to succeed. Wilson was thought to be one of his top options, but things weren’t great to start the season. The Jets won two of their first three games, then went on a major slide that pushed them out of playoff contention. Wilson especially had a quiet start to the year. Aside from a few big games toward the middle of the season, he and Rodgers never really got things going on a consistent basis.
Rosenblatt describes how things devolved between Wilson and Rodgers, and that wasn’t his only receiver there were issues with. Rodgers and Mike Williams had a miscommunication that ended up icing a Jets loss. Rodgers seemed to call Williams out for not running the correct route after the game. Williams was soon traded to the Steelers ahead of the trade deadline. Once in Pittsburgh, Williams seemed to take a shot at Rodgers in a tweet after scoring a game-winning touchdown against the Washington Commanders.
Then, the Jets brought Aaron Rodgers’ good friend Davante Adams to town. The two formed a nice connection, but it seemed to take precedence over his connection with Wilson, as Rosenblatt mentions.
A lot of the Jets’ problems last year lead back to Rodgers. That represents a risk the Steelers are taking with him this year. However, there is a notable difference.
For one, Rodgers got the keys to just about everything in New York. He got his own offensive coordinator, and the Jets traded for Adams. At the same time, though, a lot was out of his control. There were rumors of him being benched early in the year. Shortly after that his head coach was fired, and his offensive coordinator as well. To put it mildly, it wasn’t a stable situation.
In Pittsburgh, he only needs to play quarterback. Under Mike Tomlin, whom Rodgers seems to appreciate, things are much more stable. He doesn’t need to run the entire franchise and doesn’t even need to play well every week. The Steelers have a defense that can keep them competitive. They just need Rodgers to make the right plays when it matters most. Whether or not he’ll do that remains to be seen. At the very least, things probably won’t get as toxic as they did in New York.
Aaron Rodgers and the Jets will each get a chance at revenge in Week 1, when New York hosts Pittsburgh to begin the season.
