The revenge game storyline is strong for the Week 1 matchup between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, where Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields will both start at quarterback.
Rodgers was the starting signal-caller for the Jets the past two seasons, but he ended up being a major disappointment. Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on the first series of the 2023 season and couldn't get the Jets over the hump in 2024.
Fields started the first six games of the 2024 season for the Steelers while Russell Wilson was on the shelf with an injury. Fields compiled a 4-2 record in that span but never got another start after Wilson's return, even when the veteran was struggling near the end of the season.
Now, Rodgers is in Pittsburgh and Fields is in New York.
With that swap, the Jets versus Steelers game on Sunday will mark the first season opener in NFL history where the two starting signal-callers swapped places from the previous campaign, ESPN Insights notes.
Despite the obvious revenge-game angle here, both quarterbacks have downplayed it and are looking at this game as any other.
"I’d just be excited for Week 1,” Rodgers said when asked about the narrative, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
“There’s no storyline for me,” Fields said. “It’s ball for me, so I’ll let you guys kind of handle the storylines, the news lines and stuff like that. In the locker room, we just keep it straight ball.”
While both players are taking the diplomatic approach to Sunday's game, you know darn well they want to stick it to their former teams.
We'll find out if either one can accomplish that feat after the 1 p.m. kickoff on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
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