Aaron Rodgers’ life in the NFL has been a roller coaster since his decision to leave the Green Bay Packers in 2023. His disastrous two-season stint with the New York Jets led fans to believe that it was time for the 42-year-old quarterback to hang up his cleats. However, Rodgers decided to return for one more year to play with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Despite doubts, the four-time NFL MVP has helped Mike Tomlin and his team win their first AFC North title since 2020. The Steelers are now preparing to make a Super Bowl run in the playoffs. While talking about his coach on Thursday, Aaron Rodgers took a shot at the Jets and their dysfunctional ways before and after he played for the franchise.
“There aren’t any leaks in the boat. … the antithesis of where I was. To go through a season like this and being able to focus on football has been really nice,” Rodgers said as per a tweet by SleeperNFL.
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The Jets have been struggling to be a contender for the Super Bowl for the past decade, way before the Aaron Rodgers drama in the franchise. The last time they made the postseason was during the 2010 season.
The constant coaching changes have left fans questioning if they will ever return to their former glory days. In 2015, Todd Bowles took over the reins. However, after a four-season stint and a 24-30 record, he was let go. Adam Gese served as his replacement but only had a short two-year stint.
In 2021, the Jets brought in Robert Saleh. However, things did not improve for the team. Aaron Rodgers played for two seasons under Saleh. The veteran quarterback missed his debut campaign with the team in 2023 after he suffered an Achilles injury during their season opener against the Bills. He returned the next year as the QB1, but failed to live up to the expectations.
Rodgers could only muster a 5-12 record with the team during the 2024 season. Robert Saleh was fired in October 2024 after a 2-3 start to the season. This raised questions about the dysfunction taking place in the franchise.
A month later, in November 2024, Rodgers made headlines after claiming that there was a mole in the Jets locker room leaking information, which was resulting in more issues. Apart from this, he was embroiled in another drama, which The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported in February 2025. According to her, Rodgers was told by the Jets that he couldn’t be a part of the Pat McAfee show for interviews. That same month, the team announced its decision to part ways with the quarterback.
On the other side, things have been quieter comparatively this season for Aaron Rodgers with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has had Mike Tomlin as the coach since 2007. In the same span, the Jets have had seven coaching changes, with Aaron Glenn being the latest hire for the 2025 season, where the team finished with another disappointing 3-14 record.
Despite their failure to win a playoff game since 2016, the Steelers have consistently made the postseason for the past two years. This year, Aaron Rodgers has tallied 3,322 yards and 24 TDs passing in 16 games
Aaron Rodgers shares his thoughts while gearing up for first playoff appearance since 2021
The Steelers clinched the AFC North title after a dramatic 26-24 victory over the Ravens in Week 18.
In the postgame press conference, Aaron Rodgers got honest about the success with his new team.
“It’s pretty emotional, honestly,” Rodgers said. “It’s been a great year. I’m thankful for these guys and excited to be going to the playoffs for a first time in a long while.”
The Steelers will face the Houston Texans in the wild-card round on Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET.
