NFL 2025 Season
Dates: 4 September 2025 – 8 February 2026
BBC coverage: The Whole 10 Yards every Tuesday on the BBC website and iPlayer. Live text coverage every Sunday on BBC Sport website and app, and live radio commentary of selected games on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds, with Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday (from 21:00 BST)
Aaron Rodgers has returned, and the Pittsburgh Steelers faithful are buzzing. The four-time MVP’s debut against the New York Jets was nothing short of spectacular, a resounding comeback that immediately ignited the energy around the team.
“I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets,” Rodgers declared after Sunday’s game. “It was nice to win, especially hearing some of the catcalls out there and the boo birds. I’m not sensitive about that. I expected that. I kind of liked that.”
The 41-year-old veteran faced a hostile reception in MetLife Stadium after two disappointing seasons with the Jets, capped by a torn Achilles tendon. However, Rodgers swiftly silenced his critics, proving he still has the skill and leadership to make a difference.
The Steelers secured a 34-32 victory over the Jets thanks to four touchdown passes, including a perfect toss to Jonnu Smith, showcasing the trademark ball placement that Green Bay Packers fans recognized when drafting Rodgers in 2005. Former Packers vice-president Andrew Brandt told BBC Sport: “First practice of that mini camp, [we realised] there’s something special here. And we’ve seen it all the way. He’s had this incredible ability for ball placement. It’s still there, and it’s nice to see at this advanced age.”
While he’s admitted to losing some speed and physical ability following his 2023 injury, Rodgers demonstrated a remarkable ability to get the ball out quickly and accurately, making adjustments at the line of scrimmage. “He’s able to get the ball out so fast and be so accurate, and he’s making changes at the line of scrimmage,” said NFL pundit Phoebe Schecter. “The way his brain works, he’s like having a coach on the football field.”
Rodgers has developed significantly beyond simply a quarterback; he’s become a master tactician. He didn’t let receiver DK Metcalf’s dropped pass deter him, quickly moving on to the next play. “That’s the new version of Aaron Rodgers that we’re so excited to see.”
Rodgers, who won a Super Bowl with the Steelers in 2011, is turning 42 in December, but Tom Brady’s example has changed the narrative surrounding age in the NFL. “I don’t think age is the issue [for Rodgers],” said Schecter. “Look at Tom Brady and what he was able to do. I think he’s changed the narrative around what age you can be in order to play this amazing sport, especially at quarterback.”
With a team consistently making the playoffs, Rodgers’s motivation is clear. “Does he want to continue to play after this? Or is this a season where he thinks, I’m with a team who are perennial winners, they always make it to the play-offs. They’ve just been missing that little spice, and maybe Aaron Rodgers can be that little extra bit that pushes them all the way to bring home a Lombardi Trophy.”
Rodgers’s schedule includes home games against the Seattle Seahawks (26 October) and a reunion with his former team, the Green Bay Packers (26 October), and he’ll face a tough division – the AFC North – with Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) and Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) within reach.
The Steelers, who haven’t won a playoff game since 2017, have been coached by Mike Tomlin since 2007 and consistently grind out results.
Who will win Super Bowl & be MVP? NFL pundits’ predictions
NFL team-by-team guide 2025: Who are the Super Bowl contenders?
NFL fixtures and results
Get American Football news sent straight to your phone