Aaron Rodgers faces former team as Steelers take on Jets in season opener

BetMGM NFL odds: Steelers by 3.

Series record: Steelers lead 21-7.

Last meeting: Steelers beat Jets 37-15 on Oct. 20, 2024, in Pittsburgh.

Steelers offense: overall (23), rush (12), pass (26), scoring (19t).

Steelers defense: overall (15), rush (11), pass (23), scoring (7).

Jets offense: overall (24), rush (31), pass (17), scoring (24t).

Jets defense: overall (5), rush (17), pass (3), scoring (19).

Turnover differential: Steelers plus-16; Jets minus-2.

Steelers player to watch

QB Aaron Rodgers. The NFL's oldest active player begins what could be his 21st and final season by facing a New York team he tried (and failed) to lift out of the doldrums in 2024. What Rodgers has left is a bit of a mystery after the 41-year-old didn't play a single snap during the preseason. Pittsburgh's ability to contend will rely heavily on a young offensive line giving Rodgers enough time to throw. If it does, he might have a little magic left. If it doesn't, Rodgers might end up wishing he'd opted into retirement rather than pair up with kindred spirit Mike Tomlin for one last run.

Jets player to watch

QB Justin Fields. The Steelers' Week 1 starter last season is now QB1 for the Jets, his third team in as many seasons. His first training camp in New York was underwhelming with very little downfield passing and lots of focus on the running game, but coach Aaron Glenn insisted Fields was doing everything the team asked of him. The Jets are hoping Fields can join the short list of late-bloomer quarterbacks who thrived in their third or fourth NFL stops.

Key matchup

Steelers LB T.J. Watt vs. Jets rookie RT Armand Membou. Watt remains one of the NFL's elite pass rushers and he'll likely line up most of the time against Membou, the No. 7 overall pick out of Missouri.

Key injuries

Steelers: Rookie DT Derrick Harmon, the club's first-round selection, is out after spraining his knee in Pittsburgh's preseason finale against Carolina. The team is relatively healthy otherwise, with LB Nick Herbig (hamstring) and WR Calvin Austin III (abdominal) are both expected to play.

Jets: RG Alijah Vera-Tucker will miss the season with a torn triceps. ... CB Sauce Gardner (fibula) and backup QB Tyrod Taylor (knee) were limited early, but expected to play. ... Backup OL Chukwuma Okorafor (hand) sat out early in the week.

Series notes

The Steelers won the meeting last season, with Russell Wilson leading the way against Rodgers and the Jets. But New York has won two of the past three matchups and three of the past five — including the past two at MetLife Stadium. ... The teams have met twice in the postseason, both wins by the Steelers: 24-19 in the AFC championship game in January 2011, and 20-17 in overtime in the divisional round in 2005.

Stats and stuff

Rodgers and Fields will be the seventh and eighth quarterbacks — and first head to head — to start a season opener against the team for which they started the opener the previous season, per Sportradar. The others are Russell Wilson (vs. Seahawks, 2022), Baker Mayfield (vs. Browns, 2022), Sam Darnold (vs. Jets, 2021), Chad Pennington (vs. Jets, 2008), Kurt Warner (vs. Giants, 2005) and Jack Kemp (vs. Chargers, 1963). ... If the Jets win, Fields will be the first QB to win a season opener for a team in one season and then beat that same team in the season opener the next. ... Rodgers is the fifth different Week 1 starting QB in as many seasons for the Steelers (Ben Roethlisberger, Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett and Fields). That group combined to go 3-1 in the openers, with only Pickett ending up on the wrong side. ... This is the 10th time in the past 11 seasons Pittsburgh has opened on the road. The Steelers are 6-2-1 in their previous nine road openers. ... Pittsburgh is 48-39-5 in season openers, including 17-20-2 on the road. ... Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is entering his 19th season with the organization and is the longest-tenured head coach in major North American sports. If Tomlin leads Pittsburgh to 11 wins this season, he'll pass Hall of Famer Chuck Noll (193) for the most victories in team history. ... Pittsburgh added cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay and their 13 combined Pro Bowl appearances in the offseason to a defense that has led the league in turnover margin (plus-27) since the start of the 2023 season. ... Rodgers enters his 21st season fifth all time in touchdown passes (503). Next up is former Green Bay teammate Brett Favre in fourth at 508. Rodgers is seventh in career yards passing (62,952) and should crack the top five this season if he stays healthy. ... New Steelers WR DK Metcalf is one of two receivers in NFL history to have 50 or more receptions, 900 or more yards and five or more TD catches in each of their first six seasons. Hall of Famer Randy Moss is the other. ... Steelers LB TJ Watt begins his ninth season with 108 sacks, including three against Fields. ... Glenn makes his NFL head coaching debut after serving the past four seasons as Detroit's defensive coordinator. The former cornerback played eight of his 15 NFL seasons for the Jets and played in two postseasons with New York. ... Fields was 4-2 as Pittsburgh's starter last season in place of an injured Wilson. He'll be playing for his third NFL team in as many years with his third offensive system in that span and is being coached by a fourth coordinator during an NFL career entering only its fifth season. ... Fields and WR Garrett Wilson were teammates at Ohio State during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. They were also recently voted team captains by Jets teammates. ... Wilson is coming off a season during which he became the fifth player in NFL history with 80 or more catches and 1,000 or more yards receiving in each of his first three seasons, joining Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Michael Thomas and Odell Beckham Jr. ... Rookie TE Mason Taylor, the Jets' second-round pick out of LSU, is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, who played for New York during the 2010 season. ... Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson is expected to make his return after tearing an Achilles tendon in Week 2 of last season.

Fantasy tip

Jets RB Breece Hall is still the lead back, but could cede carries to Braelon Allen, especially near the goal line. Hall still has big value in PPR leagues since he's expected to play a large role in the passing game as a safety valve for Fields.

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