When the New York Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers, there was immediate hope in Florham Park that the future Hall of Fame could bring the Lombardi Trophy back to one of the league's most storied franchises.
Instead, his maiden voyage in a new shade of green lasted one snap, and Rodgers spent the rest of the 2023 season on injured reserve with a torn Achilles tendon.
The Jets struggled through the rest of that campaign, trotting out Zach Wilson for 11 games under center, Trevor Siemian for three games, and Tim Boyle for two. They managed a fairly respectable 7-10 record under the circumstances, but all of the focus was placed on 2024, when Rodgers would return and full strength and bring back those Super Bowl hopes.
That's not what happened, though.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) is injured while being sacked by Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) during the first half at MetLife Stadium.
Aaron Rodgers' first season in New York came to an abrupt halt.
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Oh, Rodgers stayed healthy this time around, starting all 17 games.
But they were worse with him than they were without him, sputtering to a 5-12 mark, the worst starting record of any season in Rodgers' legendary career, and some of the lowest individual marks he's ever posted statistically.
The Jets were two games worse with Rodgers in the lineup than they were with that lackluster trio from the previous year, despite a fairly solid offensive line, a defense with plenty of star power (Quinnen Williams, Sauce Gardner), and some dynamic offensive playmakers in young studs Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall. Rodgers even had Davante Adams for the final 11 games of the season following a deadline deal that reunited the former Green Bay Packers teammates.
New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Garrett Wilson (5) talk on the field against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.
Aaron Rodgers had plenty of talented playmakers to work with, but still couldn't make the Jets a winner.
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Last year, the Steelers went 10-7 with the starter combo of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields at quarterback, but decided they could do better this time around. They let Wilson and Fields both walk in free agency, and didn't address the position until the sixth round of this year's draft with Ohio State's Will Howard.
The expectation all along was that they would eventually land Rodgers, who would give them an obvious upgrade over the likes of Howard and career backup Mason Rudolph, who returned after a brief and uneventful stint with the Tennessee Titans.
That's finally happening (per multiple reports), but if you look around this current Pittsburgh roster, it's hard to find many spots where they're obviously better than the Jets were last year.
There are studs on defense, sure. They traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf, but also traded away their previous top pass-catcher in George Pickens. Pat Freiermuth is a solid tight end, but there's no proven No. 2 receiver in-house at the moment. Jaylen Warren has been a solid committee back, but third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson will need to be an upgrade over departed veteran Najee Harris.
The offensive line in Pittsburgh should keep improving after some hefty investments in last year's draft, but they're banking on a huge leap from recent first-rounder Broderick Jones, who is moving to left tackle after struggling with technique and consistency over his first two seasons in the league on the right side.
Mike Tomlin always seems to figure out a way to get his guys to a winning record, no matter what he's working with in a particular year. He's navigated muddy quarterback situations, snake-bitten runs of injury, and many other challenges to keep his team competitive for nearly two decades.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin (right).
Can Mike Tomlin and Rodgers team up to make the Steelers a playoff team in 2025?
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But it's hard to watch film from last year's Jets and see how that version of Rodgers, who will be a year older now, is supposed to elevate a roster that doesn't look any better on paper than the one he had to work with last year in New York.
And if that's the case, the Steelers would have been much better off going a different route at the game's most important position (Higher draft pick? Keeping Wilson, Fields, or both? Going after Geno Smith or Sam Darnold?) this offseason.
Instead, they're hitching their wagon to an aging passer who will definitely be a first-ballot entry in Canton, but proved last year that he's no longer the kind of quarterback who can elevate a subpar roster and live up to the expectations of his long-gone prime.