Ryan Clark isn’t rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers to get smoked in their Week 1 opener against the New York Jets. Nor is he recommending it. But if the Steelers do start 0-1, Clark thinks there’s a silver lining. Even if the rest of the world won’t see it that way.
“It’s never good to lose a game. But that will show them exactly what Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tomlin leadership looks like,” Clark said Friday [on Dave Damshek’s Football America! podcast.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5A3yArD0YE) “What Aaron Rodgers shows up to the post-game press conference? How does he protect his teammates? How does he protect Arthur Smith? How does he show from a leadership standpoint the sort of ownership that says, ‘Hey guys, this one is on me. I have to be better.'”
[The NFL crafted a schedule](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/05/steelers-complete-2025-schedule-revealed/) that makes Pittsburgh’s opener one of the most interesting matchups of the week. Quarterbacks who were essentially swapped facing each other. Aaron Rodgers to the Steelers, Justin Fields to the Jets. The winner of the game will be declared the smarter team in free agency. The loser will be said to have buyer’s remorse.
“If you lose that game, at least Pittsburgh-centric, the sky will be falling,” Clark said.
The national media will act the same way The opposite holds true, too. A hot New York media market with several self-proclaimed national media fans (Mike Greenberg, Rich Eisen among others) will have plenty to say if the Jets come out on the wrong end of things. The reality is the NFL is a long season, though the media won’t let a hot take get in the way of that.
Disappointing as it’d be, losing in Week 1 has proven not to be a death knell for the Steelers. In 2023, Pittsburgh was blown out 30-7 by the San Francisco 49ers and still made the playoffs. The same held true in 2011 and 2015. Slow starts haven’t defined the Steelers before, and a fast start last year didn’t mean much by last January.
Clark’s point is understood. A chance for Pittsburgh to be tested and how a new-look group handles adversity. In those moments, leaders like Tomlin and Rodgers become critical. As the saying goes, in calm waters, every ship has a good captain.