The New York Jets wisely moved on from the toxic Aaron Rodgers era this offseason. The first-year tandem of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn are resetting the culture. Rodgers couldn’t be a part of that.
After releasing Rodgers from his contract, the worst-kept secret was that he’d eventually sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rodgers took his sweet time making a final decision, but the league’s schedule makers acted with conviction. Despite the veteran QB being unsigned when the 2025 schedule came out, the Steelers were announced as the Jets’ Week 1 opponent at MetLife.
Several Jets talents are undeniably looking forward to a shot at Rodgers revenge. Superstar cornerback Sauce Gardner recently went public with his claims. Gardner can’t wait to square off with his ex teammate.
Sauce Gardner “looking forward to the challenge” of facing Aaron Rodgers. https://t.co/QwOu0zuN5g
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 3, 2025
“He might think he knows all the tendencies that I have, but this offseason has really been me trying not to give nothing away,” Gardner said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I’ve been trying to work on literally everything because I already know I’m about to go against a wizard Week 1. I already know what time it is.”
As the Jets’ no. 1 cornerback, Gardner will inherit a significant challenge versus the Steelers in Week 1. Not only will the former Cincinnati standout be tasked with facing Rodgers, but he’ll almost certainly be asked to shadow DK Metcalf, who the Steelers acquired this offseason to be Rodgers’ go-to target.
As always, Gardner is up for the challenge.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Jets CB Sauce Gardner looking forward to facing Aaron Rodgers