It never quite worked out for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in New York. He came in with sky-high expectations and ended up leading the Jets to just five wins over two years.
After a messy divorce between the veteran QB and his former team, the Steelers took an unpopular risk by signing the 41-year-old to a one-year contract late in the offseason.
Two games into the season, it looks like that risk is already paying off. The future Hall of Fame inductee is proving to the world that the disaster in New York was the Jets' fault all along.
Aaron Rodgers proves Jets were the problem with solid start to Pittsburgh Steelers tenure
Yes, the Steelers lost their Week 2 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Yes, they only put up 17 points. But Rodgers showed functional quarterback play within the offensive system for the second game in a row.
The veteran's day might not look all that impressive in the box score. He completed just over half of his passes, barely squeaked past 200 yards, and threw two costly interceptions. As is often the case, the stats don't quite tell the full story.
Rodgers showed fans glimpses of his MVP days at times in this game, navigating the pocket and placing the ball with pinpoint accuracy. His early interception wasn't entirely his fault, as the pass was tipped in the air before it fell into the defender's arms. While the latter turnover was the result of a missed throw, it came near the end of the game when the Steelers were looking to push the ball down the field quickly.
In New York, the QB was allowed to act as a passer, coordinator, and even general manager at times. He seemed to influence roster decisions and control which plays the offense ran. The team became a who's who of Rodgers' friends from his time in the league, with Davante Adams and Nathaniel Hackett joining the crew.
Things look a bit different in Pittsburgh. Mike Tomlin has been around the league for quite a while himself, and he's the unquestioned leader of this team. Arthur Smith's offense is wildly different from what the 41-year-old quarterback is used to, but the system allows for easy reads and open receivers down the field.
In that structure, Rodgers is proving that he can still be a capable starter in the NFL. Whether that's enough for a successful Steelers season is an entirely different question.