Stephen A. Smith thinks Aaron Rodgers is a breath of fresh air for the Steelers 👀 I First Take

Stephen A. Smith thinks Aaron Rodgers is a breath of fresh air for the Steelers 👀 I First Take

Pittsburgh to a 34-32 comeback win over his former team, the Jets. Aaron, how you feeling? I was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets. There were probably people in the organization uh didn’t think I could play anymore. So, it was nice to remind those people that I still can. That is officially my favorite sound bite of 2025, and I don’t think anybody’s gonna top it. Damen, tell me this. Are you a believer in Rogers and the Steelers now? Well, I think it’s how you how you quantify a believer. Do I believe that they can represent the AFC and the Super Bowl? No, I do not. I saw two teams I feel like are the class of the AFC, but does Rogers give him the best shot with under Mike Tomlin since Big Ben? Absolutely. I mean, we saw we saw rejuvenated Aaron Rogers yesterday. Let’s make no mistakes about that. He was moving well inside the pocket. He was moving well outside the pocket. He was pinpoint accurate. he knew where to go with the ball. That was vintage Aaron Rogers that we saw saw yesterday. And so we saw him in a new system, Arthur Smith system, something that he really hadn’t really hadn’t played under throughout most of his career going back to his Green Bay dates. So if you’re getting this from Aaron Rogers week one, like imagine where where they’re going to be, you know, a month from now, two months from now. I think the biggest the biggest thing about this whole situation, can Aaron Rogers stay healthy? Remember, he’s 41 years old. But if he stays healthy and he plays like that, Pittsburgh got they’re cooking with something right there. Cam, I think Damen missed one thing. We didn’t just see Vintage Rogers. We saw Revenge Rogers. It was a little bit of a redemption tour. A little extra sauce on this one. And he’s a little petty, and I’m here for all of it. I’m I like where you at, Molly. I love where you at because yeah, rejuvenated, uh, that’s one thing, but motivated is another whole type of human being. I think every single person that has ever played in the NFL, will play in the NFL, or is currently in the NFL, once you have this on your heart where you feel like you have to prove something, that’s where you have a different animal and a different beast. And that’s what we seen Aaron Rogers up against this particular weekend. He wanted to prove something not only just to himself but to the whole organization and the city of New York that like hey remember me and I don’t know if they could keep that up. Do I believe in the Pittsburgh Steelers? Uh I don’t know. You got Calvin Austin the third, you got Pat, you got Kenneth Gainwell. I don’t know if that’s going to be enough when you have any type of representation from the Chiefs Chargers, Ravens, Bills, Bengals, and even the Browns looked good if they could get them a dog on kicker. But outside of that, I think Aaron Rogers is still one of the elite talent that has this game has ever seen. And it showed with him still being at the age that he is being able to uh deliver the pill. I appreciate the breakdown, but you’re missing it. Both missing it. I mean, first of all, I know I I know what I said cuz I was there when I said it. The bad man showed up. You understand? Y’all must have forgot. This is what I tried to say. You understand? And the man showed up and handled this business yesterday. I was very very pleased with Aaron Rogers. No doubt about it. No question. He showed up and he showed out. Okay, I told you Daniel Smith along with Fry move to the tight end spot. Those are security blankets for you cuz you ain’t got to throw the ball deep. I told you about Medav. We can’t ignore this brother. Now here’s where you should be alarmed about when you view the Pittsburgh Steelers cuz Aaron Rogers ball and he’s showing you don’t be worried about me. Over the last 20 the last 11 games got 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Let’s remember that. Okay, let’s remember that about Amar Rogers when we talking about him acting like he has been and stuff like that. 999 people must have forgot. And if you’re a Pittsburgh Steelers fan like I am, Cam, it’s a welcome relief because damn it, it’s the first quarterback we’ve seen in Pittsburgh in six years. I mean, the fact last two years of Ben Rothosberger’s career, we love him. We appreciate him. He’s going to the Hall of Fame. He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion. Ain’t nothing but love for big Ben Rothsberger. But we all know that he stayed a couple of years too long. We all know that the Pittsburgh Steelers desperately couldn’t find a quarterback. I mean, anytime Mitchell Jabitzky is in your room and there’s conversations that Mason Rudolph, not the red-nosed reindeer, Mason Rudolph, when you know when you think about that brother being your quarterback, you know there’s a problem. You ain’t got much quarterbacking in the room. Okay. So, Aaron Rogers being there is a breath of fresh air. We love it. We appreciate it. And we we believe that you can ascend. Here’s the problem. Two things. Steelers ran the ball 20 times with just 53 yards. I’m not accustomed to the Steelers not being able to run the football. Okay. Averaging 2.7 yards per carry. That’s putrid. That is not acceptable. That is not acceptable. That’s number one. Number two, this defense was not impressive. I wasn’t impressed with the Pittsburgh Steelers defense at all. A matter of fact, I was quite disappointed. And when I saw TJ Watt on that sideline fuming, I got happy because I’m like, they paying you this money for a reason. You about $41 million a year. I mean, you $41 million. 41 million ounce. I expect I expect that defense to be I expect that defense to be this the Steelers. This Steelers we talking about here. I mean I’m looking at them right now. You’re allowed 394 yards, 6.5 yards per play, 50% third down conversions with Justin Fields as the quarterback who played damn well. Who played damn well he did. And and he played I didn’t expect that. Let me let me tell you something. I didn’t expect that. Let me tell you something. And it listen all jokes aside, yeah, the Jets dominated the Steelers yesterday. They did. You ain’t said like they dominated like that’s that form of Jet that’s about you can say whatever you want. What I’m hearing, but the Jets dominate the Pittsburgh Steelers again just like the Baltimore Bills game. The turnover the turnover was a crucial the crucial thing. But Justin Field Cam, you going to speak on this? Justin Fields bald yesterday. Yes, he did. Absolutely. How far, Kim, do you think he could take the AFC? Justin Fields, how far do you think he could take the Jets in the AFC? I look at a situation where you have a head coach that’s still trying to implement his way of winning, right? And we’re still talking about the Jets here. Uh Stephen A. Smith, you said a lot of truth in what you just said in your stanza, bro. But the best quarterback in six years, I think one of those quarterbacks that they had an opportunity to get the best out of, they let slip and fall to the New York Jets. And Justin Fields now Justin Fields look dog on good. And if he he’s in a situation where that’s his type of game to win, how they have to win, there’s going to be a purging of how you have to win. We have to protect the football. We have to keep Justin Fields in a situation where he’s comfortable until he’s ready to really cut that switch on to be a a very elite player. You have the skill set around him. They was dominating the line of scrimmage, Damen, as you pointed out with the dog on good defense that they was facing. They ran the ball when they wanted to and when they had to. And obviously, when you have a talent like Justin Fields who’s able to extend the play in many ways and one not just from the running element, but also from the passing element as well, I think there’s they’re a very scary team. Especially, this is another thing to keep in account when you’re looking at that division. The Miami Dolphins didn’t look nowhere near where they supposed to look. When you see the uh New England Patriots looking Go ahead. I said save it. Don’t don’t get that division. Save our energy for that one. But go ahead. Go ahead. But but I’m but I’m saying what I’m saying in that whole division alone, this is the year for the Jets to make their impact and impose their will. I love what I saw from Justin Fields and the New York Jets. It’s just going to take some time to implement ways of how to win and that’s where Aaron Rogers really showed his veteranism and uh you know pulled it out. Let me say this. Reese Hall ran for 107 yards averaged nearly six yards a carry last night uh yesterday afternoon rather. Garrett Wilson had that nice touchdown catch. Now there was an injury to Porter obviously the steal and secondary. They were compromised to some degree. We get that part. We understand that. And again I overall I was not happy. you know, Derek Harman, their first round pick, didn’t play last night. Haywood got hurt and what have you. I But I’m looking at the Pittsburgh Steelers. I still expected them to be better. So, I’m alarmed because of that. But if you telling me that Aaron Rogers is going to play like this, you understand? And I’m going to get some production from a DK Metaf from an Austin, from a Smith and Fry Muth at the tight end spot, I’m liking my I’m liking my chances. Okay. I’m liking my chances. Can we just pause the AFC North? What about it? You think your Steelers can really do damage in the AFC North? I think they could buy I think they can v for a wildcard spot. I don’t have them winning in the division, but I think that they can v for a wild cost spot. Yes, which is what I said. The Steelers getting to the playoffs is not enough. You want to play games? Okay. They want a playoff game since I know Cam looking sideways. But you know, Stephen A, that’s not the question. The question is, can the Steelers win a playoff game? That’s what I just said. That’s what I’m answering. Well, I’m saying that’s my concern, you know. But do I do does can the Steelers get to the playoffs? He stuttered for the first time in his life. If you do all this pontification about Rogers, you don’t even know if he can win the playoffs. Well, what if they get the playoffs and then their first round game is against the Ravens again? I don’t have them beating the Ravens. I don’t have them beating the Ravens. I haven’t beat all of So, all of this is for not I don’t have I don’t have them beating the Ravens, but And I don’t have them beating Buffalo. I think the Steelers could give anybody else a run for their money if Aaron Rogers on this game, which he will be. Which he will be. He’s a bad man. I’m just trying to tell y’all. I’m trying to I’m just trying to tell y’all. Y’all must have forgot. Y’all y’all wrote them off. Must have forgot, Cam. They might win a playoff. Y’all Hey, listen. They not a great team compared to Buffalo. What? Cam, what’s the problem? I I you when when I’m looking at it when I’m looking at the Pittsburgh Steelers or your Pittsburgh Steelers, which I thought was kind of wild to hear you become a Pittsburgh Steelers fans out of like where is this guy been? But needless to say, I’ve been a Steelers fan all my life. He was just confused. You’re from New York. All my life. Yeah. Go ahead. Do I need to put on my hat and your glasses to be Is that what I did? No, I am going to I thought you was from New York. I just thought, you know, I’m just it’s just it’s just one of those situations that I never thought a New York person could be all right. Let me make my point, Stephen A. Go ahead. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. All right. All right. All right. Cool. Now, what I would say about the Pittsburgh Steelers is I don’t think the question is Aaron Rodgers. I think it’s Aaron Rogers amenities. DK Metave, uh, yes, he’s a playoff contender that can really, you know, give team fits, but everybody else when you’re when you’re suffering in a run in the run game, when you’re suffering and in and because when you look at deep playoff runs, right, it comes down to can you beat manto man? Do you have the talent that can beat manto man? Simple and plain. And I don’t think that the amenities from the Pittsburgh Steelers allows Aaron Rogers to have a guy or guys that can beat manto man. It’s only but so much Arthur Smith can give you with the schematics. [Music]

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Cam Newton and Damien Woody join Molly Qerim to discuss how Pittsburgh Steelers QB1 Aaron Rodgers looked when facing the New York Jets. Plus, can Justin Fields help the New York Jets fly?

0:00 Aaron Rodgers post-game comments
0:25 Are you a believer in Rodgers & the Steelers?
1:35 Aaron Rodgers felt like he had something to prove
2:50 Stephen A. Smith gives his thoughts on Aaron Rodgers & the Steelers
5:55 How far can Justin Fields take the New York Jets?
8:30 How will the Steelers do in the AFC North?

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