Aaron Rodgers or Justin Fields: Who is in a better spot to win Week 1? 🤔 | First Take

Aaron Rodgers or Justin Fields: Who is in a better spot to win Week 1? 🤔 | First Take

Beginnings for seasoned veterans. Let’s take a look at 41-year-old Aaron Rogers as he gears up for his potential last dance in the NFL. Rogers joined the Steelers this off season after a disappointing tenure with the Jets that was highlighted by more head coaching changes than playoff appearances. And of course, the schedule makers making their magic work. Week one of the 2025 NFL regular season. It’s Aaron Rogers starting his redemption tour with a tour with a return to Metife to take on his former team, the Jets. Across from him is going to be Justin Fields, who’s also facing his former team in the Steelers. Let’s welcome in Mike T. And I will start with you, Damen Woody, here as well. Who would be I guess rather the revenge element here. Who what who which quarterback would have the sweeter ending if they win in week one? Cory, that’s easy. Justin Fields. Justin Fields was with the Steelers, same head coach, same GM. Obviously, they didn’t get a deal done. Don’t know how far those negotiations went. You know, Aaron Rogers to me that was just sort of like, hey, new regime coming in in New York. He’s going to graduate and leave. There was really no relationship there. But I’m sure Justin Fields, I’m so intrigued by his connection with Aaron Glenn. I know Aaron Glenn really well. Tough guy. And I think just Justin Fields is a very like-minded player. I think they’re going to have a lot of success and I think it starts on opening day and Justin Fields probably won’t say anything because he’s a very classy guy, but deep down as a world-class competitor, it’ll be very meaningful for him. And look, it didn’t work out with Rogers and the Jets. That’s well documented, Courtney. But I just think because it’s not Robert Salah, it’s Aaron Glenn. It’s a new regime and those dynamics are totally different. Okay, so we’ve got one for Justin Fields. Damen Woody coming to you next. Is it Fields or is it Aaron Rodgers that would have the would be feeling pretty good better than the other after a week one win? Yeah, I gotta agree with my former GM Mike Tannon. For me, it’s Justin Fields. And you know, think about him last year in a situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was really never the guy, you know, he only really started because of the calf injury to Russell Wilson. And all Justin Fields did was have a winning record as a starting quarterback. He improved upon upon his completion percentage. uh did better as far as turning, you know, uh stopping with the turnovers, but he still relented once Russell Wilson uh got healthy. And so when you look at Justin Fields, you know, this is a situation where with with the Jets, they’ve gone all in. They’ve pushed their chips all in on Justin Fields. They’re going to build this thing around his skill set in New York. And obviously, you see some of the pieces uh that they have, the good offensive line, really good backfield. And so, you know, Aaron Glenn and company, they’re going to see exactly what what Justin Fields can do, uh, with this new cast of characters. Listen, the whole situation in Pittsburgh, uh, you know, both Aaron Rogers and Pittsburgh Steelers, they really had no choice but, uh, entering some type of relationship because either one, neither one really had nowhere else to turn. And so, for me, it’s Justin Fields looking at this whole situation. Fields four-2 as a starter last year and limited action with the Steelers before Russell Wilson was able to come back from that injury. Do you see it the same way David or you looking at Aaron Rogers and the vengeance because I mean we know this guy can be a little petty. I think he wants to walk away sticking it to Mike Tomlin and company taking it to uh Aaron Glenn in company with Mike Tomlin. Yeah. I want to uh introduce everybody here to a guy named Aaron Rogers. I don’t know if you’ve heard, he can hold a grudge on occasion from time to time. And I think that a grudge that he has with this Jets team, uh Aaron Rogers has been, you know, sort of the scapegoat or maybe rightfully so, thought of as a guy who helped blow this team up last season with all the off-field stuff and not performing the way that he should and being, you know, injured uh the season before and talking about how he was going to come back and maybe not come back and was unceremoniously pretty much removed from that Jets team. And the idea that this dude can come back in week one with a Steelers team that he has playoff hopes with and he can beat this Jets squad. This would be music to Aaron Rodgers ears to be able to do that. But beyond the Jets, beyond the Justin Fields of it all, Aaron Rodgers, there’s a lot of doubters about Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. One of them is right here, about what they’re going to do this season. And if he can come out game one and does not beat the Jets in game one as you’re trying to prove everybody wrong with the Steelers, this will be not sweet. It’ll be sour. So to be able to beat them will be more sweet for Aaron Rogers because it’ll just not only get rid of the Jets uh in week one, it’ll also say yes, I am part of a for real team and we have a real shot here in the season and in the playoffs. Yeah, David, I’m with you on this one. And I feel like what Aaron Rodgers is setting out to do now, this guy wanted to prove Green Bay wrong in his when he joined the Jets. Obviously, he was not able to do that due to injury. This is your potential last chance to do that. Sticking it to your former team in week one. I know that these NFL schedule makers were licking their chops when they had the opportunity to schedule this matchup, but Mike, like big picture-wise, like which of these two quarterbacks, Fields or Aaron Rodgers, is in a better situation to win in 2025? I’m going to go with Justin Fields. And here’s why. Look, I I’m an expert in overpaying right tackles for the New York Jets. They have two they have two firstrounders in Armanbo uh and Olo Fanu. They they really are building this team the right way. And because of that, as D Woodwell knows, if you could protect the quarterback, that is the baseline of success. And I’m telling you guys, if the four of us are having a conversation in October, November, and we’re talking about a surprise team. The Jets may not have the highest ceiling. I get all that, but this is going to be the Detroit Lions East. This is going to be Dan Campbell tough with Aaron Glenn. Maybe they don’t score the most points in the world, but they got a a quarterback in Justin Fields who has a lot to prove. Garrett Wilson, Brie, they’ll play good defense. And that’s why I think he’ll be successful. Courtney, to answer your question, maybe not the biggest numbers in the world, but this team will not uh beat itself. And Justin Fields is going to surprise me. A lot of pressure on a guy with a two-year contract. He’s saying in in that Justin Fields has a better situation to win than Aaron Rogers would. He can rationalize on the overpay part. Trust me, you a benefactor of that one. Yeah. Hey, listen. I got a whole wing to my house dedicated to Mike T. So, yeah, I’ll take that. Uh, but listen, Mike Mike T bring up some good points, but I’m going to take the head coach who’s never had a losing record. I mean, think about that. We’re talking about Mike Tomley here. That to me is the center of this whole discussion when you talk about who’s in a better spot to win. I’m taking the guy in Aaron Rogers who’s in one of the best organizations in the Pittsburgh Steelers with with a Hall of Fame, a future Hall of Fame head coach in Mike Tomlin. Yeah. Do the Pittsburgh Steelers have questions? Absolutely. Starting with Aaron Rogers and his age, the offensive line, but you talk about one of the best defenses in the National Football League. They got better with the Pittsburgh Steels. They got a a bunch of young players, young talented players, and Aaron Rogers at quarterback. So, for me, this is more about Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers giving Aaron Rogers the infrastructure to go out there being successful in this in this scenario. All right, David, where do you fall on this one? Yeah, this is about Aaron Rogers and really about between the two quarterbacks who needs to be better and I think the guy who needs to be better for his team to succeed is Justin Fields. Aaron Rodgers can be fine with that Steelers and they will be have a good season which is why he’s in the better position. The Steelers and Mike Tomlin at the center of it as Woody said have won with fine quarterbacks and they can do it again with the defense. TJ Watt of course I think is we imagine is coming back. The defense should be stellar as they are all year. They make do. They turn Lemons eliminated when it comes to the personnel that they have at the quarterback position all the time. So Aaron Rodgers is starting with a leg up on Justin Fields in that regard. Then you add in the fact that if he can somehow muster the Aaron Rogers of of the past and be the best version of himself that we’ve seen the last few years, that only raised their ceiling to another level. But all he has to do is be fine for them to be a playoff team. Justin Fields I do not think has that luxury. I want to give you a chance to defend your take here because the pressure that’s on Fields. This is it. Like if we’re being realistic about it, this is his last chance to prove that he can be a starter. The contract’s going to look really bad. If it goes really bad, if it goes great, then they they hit on on gold there. But how can you look at what Aaron Rogers inherits to going into a situation that Pittsburgh’s done business not as normal this off season and say that Fields is in a better situation to win right now? It’s easy. It’s offensive line. And I’m not saying that just because I did overpay Dame Woody, but when you look at the offensive line of the Jets, it’s been built over the last couple of years. And Justin Fields has the ability to uh move effectively in the pocket. Tanner Ingramstrom is going to bring over a lot of the concepts that were very successful in Detroit under Ben Johnson. And look, they Jared Goffet didn’t move a lot, but when he did, it was very effective. Juxtapose this guys. Aaron Rogers is going to be 42 in December coming off an Achilles tendon injury. He is an athletically deficient player. The Pittsburgh Steeler offensive line should be better. Troy Fatnau missed last year. He was hurt. I think he’ll play. I think he’ll be better. I think Caleb Johnson, their third round pick out of the University of Iowa, is critically important. Arthur Smith wants to run the ball, play action, and move Aaron Rogers. So, if Caleb Johnson plays well, it’s a closer argument, but I think Justin Fields has a better offensive line. He’s more athletic, and he’ll move better. Aaron Rogers, guys, it’s been since 2021 since he’s played at a high level. If we take the name off the back and we just looked at again an aging, athletically deficient quarterback and we’re honest and sober, Justin Fields is going to have the better season. I mean, Rogers did throw for nearly 3,900 yards, 28 touchdowns, 11 interceptions. But if he was so good, Courtney, why didn’t they keep him? I mean, we he got people fired in the middle of the season. They had to clean house. I understand, including himself. I understand the optics of that, but that’s a team when you bring in a new head coach, new general manager, they’re looking towards the future. Rogers still thinks he can win. Now, I’m with Dwood. I’m with David on this. I think that, and I’ve seen Justin Fields, I’ve seen it up close. I think that you’ve gotten the best out of him that you’re going to get in that he’s a high-end backup, low-level starter. I don’t think this is going to be some sort of resurgence where he’s gonna have a chance to, you know, go be the take the Baker Mayfield route, take the route that Sam Darnold went. I think it’ll be a fine season. If the bars at five and a half wins, six, seven, that’s good, but it’s probably not enough for him to have success long term there. So, so when you mentioned those quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, even Gino Smith, it took their third or fourth team to get to where they are now as very credible stars. I think Justin Fields, that narrative really fits him. You’re right, he struggled in Chicago, obviously, and Mike Tomlin knows what a good quarterback looks like. So, I I totally understand that. But to me, you know, when you’re sitting in the draft room, you say the tape sets the floor. The character sets the ceiling. His tape is good, not great. He has great character. I think he’s going to get better, and I’m excited to watch him play. All right, we’re going to leave this one here. What quarterback hasn’t struggled in Chicago? First time in three seasons the Chiefs are not entering the year as defending champs as they look to avenge getting routed by the Eagles in Super Bowl 59. And if history is any indication, Reed, Mahomes, Kelsey, and crew are in position for another commanding year. No team has been as dominant as the Chiefs since their first AFC Championship game appearance in the Mahomes Reedair, which was back in 2018. The Chiefs have made the AFC title game each season, including three Super Bowl victories. All right, David, are you going to take the Chiefs or the Field to win the AFC this year? So this is a head this is a head versus heart thing which is making me uh choose the field here. The the heart of this all is that Momes feels like a Jordan type of person where you just should not ever bet against him and assume that they are going to make the Super Bowl every single year and be proven wrong when it actually does not happen. But the head of this all is that I’m looking at other teams that just look better. I’m looking at the parody in the NFL. I’m looking at the way that there’s unpredictability with injuries. is hard to just take the Chiefs over everybody else. I think when you look at the rosters, the teams that were actually going on be on the field, the Ravens, I think are a better team and should be favored over the Chiefs. But of course, we’ve been saying that for the last couple of years, the Chiefs end up doing this come playoff time. But it’s hard for me to say that the Chiefs definitively are going to beat the field just because of the personnel that we’ve seen take the take the field with other teams. As much as I want uh to not root against Mahomes, I think the Ravens are the team to beat in the AFC. I like the numbers game here. I want more options. That usually like leads me to land on something, but I know that you like that team down in Kansas City. Why are you taking them over the field? Because they won 15 games last year, went to the Super Bowl, and they’re better. I mean, I don’t even think it’s close. Their left tackle really struggled last year. They have Josh Simmons who, if he wasn’t hurt, was probably a top 10 pick. That it’s going to go from a weakness to a strength. And then again, we don’t know about Rasheed Rice’s eligibility. So that’s a big caveat. But if he plays in his upwards of 17 games with a healthy Hollywood Brown, a Xavier Worthy, they’re going to be really explosive on offense. So I look, there’s a lot of great teams in the AFC. We know that Baltimore and Buffalo most notably. But to me, like this is a team, it’s scary. They were 30th in air yards per attempt last year. They couldn’t get the ball down the field. This team has a chance to be a lot better and they were in the Super Bowl a year ago. But rationalize this for me. all of those one-score games that they won last year. Balls don’t dink off the upright every single year the same way that they did the year before. How do you factor that into your choice to take the Chiefs? And you’re saying 15 wins last year. A lot of those came down to the final minute. Usually, we don’t see that same sort of luck carry over. I don’t think the games are going to be as close this year. I think they’re going to be really explosive on offense. I mean, they got three guys that could really get down the field. And you go back to the Super Bowl and obviously the headlines are justifiable how great Philly was, but when Patrick Mors had time, they were able to move the ball and Xavier Worthy has a chance. Look, he’s not Tyreek Hill, but we see his time speed equal play speed with him. So, I just they have a chance to really be a lot like to me more explosive, which is crazy how we’re describing Patrick Mahomes. And I think someone like, you know, Travis Kelce, who’s a first ballot hall of famer, really becomes not an afterthought, but critical on third down red zone, but they don’t need to rely on him as much as they have in the past. All right, Dwood, you looking at the field or you going to take the Chiefs? It’s always the field, Courtney. It’s always the field, especially in in the sport, you know, in football. And the reason I’m going to say the field and because in in the division, look at the AFC West this year, okay? You have Jim, you have Jim Harbaugh, Shawn Peyton, and Pete Carroll. You got three of some of the best head coaches now, you know, in the division this year. The Denver Broncos is like is a sleeping monster. They’re going to be much better this year. They already have one of the top defense in the National Football League. Bo Nicks and Shawn Peyton going into their second year. You would think Bo Nicks is going to be a lot better. The Los Angeles Chargers is going to be a lot better with under Jim Harbaugh and the the style of play that they have physicality on both sides of the ball. And Pete Carol, listen, Pete Carol we know is a culture builder. He all he does is turn around programs. They go out, they trade for Gino Smith, got Brock Bowers, okay? Traded I mean drafted Ashton Genty. We know the type of ball that they’re going to play with the Las Vegas Raiders. So I think this is the first time in the Andy Marie, Pat and Andy Reid and Patch Mahomes era where the division is going to be this tight, this good. And so I think the margin for error is going to be a lot tighter for the Kansas City Chiefs. And yes, the Kansas City Chiefs have gotten better, particularly along the line of scrimmage, but I think the division has gotten a lot better as well. All right, so if I put you on the spot here, you take in the Broncos, the Chargers, or the Raiders to push them for that AFC West title. Who has the best chance not named the Chiefs to win that? I’m going to go with the Broncos. I’m going to go to the Broncos. Their defense is elite. I think the quarterback is going to be really good. They got one they got one of, if not the best offensive line in the National Football League. And so when you when you sum all those things up, that’s a recipe for a team that could do damage in the postseason. David, I see you shaking your head. You agree? Yeah, I agree with the Broncos uh point here. That defense is going to be devastating this year. They may have the best defense in all of football coming up this this uh season, but all when you’re talking about teams or entities versus the field, that’s usually reserved for alltime great single season or single year performance. You think Tiger Woods versus the Field, you think Warriors with Durant versus the Field. The Chiefs are not at that level of greatness this year on a year-to-year basis where you say they’re that much better than everybody else. When you take them or the field, it’s going to be a dog fight if they get into the Super Bowl. getting out the division as Woody said, getting past a team like the Ravens, getting past somebody like the Bills. I just do not see that level of dominance uh that we would expect when we’re talking about teams or people being them or the field. Yeah, the field also contains teams like the Buffalo Bills. We know what those matchups are like when the Chiefs face off with them in the postseason. The Cincinnati Bengals trying to avenge last season’s loss. And can we give the Houston Texans some credit? That’s my sleeper team for the AFC Championship game this year. I know that Mike’s shaking his head. All three of you are shaking your head at me right now. So clearly I said something that struck a nerve there. Well, logic, you know, you know, when you think about they had they they they struggled protecting CJ Strad and they moved on from Larry Tonsel. I I like I’m not sure how that makes you better. I think that they have two of the best edge rushers and the best pass rush in the AFC right now. Will Anderson, Denil Hunter have something to say about that. All right, we got to go here. We’re going to come back to this in just a little bit. The Cowboys Dak Prescott has a lot to be excited about this off season. Not only is he cleared fully for all football activities after returning from surgery that took him out the final nine games last season, but Dallas also has bolstered their wide receiver room which includes CD Lamb and newly acquired George Pickins. Woody and Mike T in for this conversation. Mike, I’m going to start with you here. How confident are you that the Cowboys will make it back to the playoffs after a seven and 10 finish? not confident about the playoffs but greatly improved for some of the reasons that you mentioned Courtney. I’m a big believer in Brian Shottenheimimer. We have two real number one receivers. You can’t double either CD Lamb or George Pickkins who will be highly motivated going to the last year of his deal. Three number one picks on the offensive line. That all sounds good. But when you can’t stop the run, that can be catastrophic. And when we think about the powers of the NFC, and Cordy, you cover, you know, the Bears and you know this conference very well. There’s a lot of teams that could run the ball very effectively. when you start think about Saquon Barkley, I mean just on and on and on. When you think about Detroit, Minnesota, San Francisco, so to really get to where they want to go, that has been a problem. Mazy Smith, a first round pick out of Michigan two years ago, really hasn’t worked out. They were 30th defending the run last year. I think Matty Berloose will be effective as a new defensive coordinator, but at the end of the day, a greatly improved Cowboy team comes up short and doesn’t make the playoffs. It’s it’s like the math can’t really math here because I think about the NFC North where you got three teams into the playoffs last year. The NFC East is pretty good and topheavy with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders. Dwood, do you think that Dallas could fall victim to just the better teams in the conference keeping them out of being the third team that gets in? Well, speaking of math, can you tell me if Dak Prescott is going to play a full slate of games? because if he does, then we know that the Dallas Cowboys are guaranteed for double-digit wins. That’s what Dallas does. And when you have a healthy Dak Prescott playing a full set of games with the weapons that they have on offense, Dallas should be, in my opinion, a top five offense in the National Football League. Obviously, with the acquisition of George Pickings, Mike Ted upon it, the offensive line, three first rounders, they should be much improved. I think again the biggest question mark and Mike T touched on it is there is there run defense guy like Mazy Smith you know who’s a you know was a second round pick a couple years ago for the Dallas Cowboys can he be a guy that can help them improve in that area because just look at division Philadelphia Eagles Washington Commanders two of the top teams as far as rushing the football if you can’t stop the run you’re going to have a hard time so I think that’s got to be priority number one for new new head coach you know Brian Shot Hama is instilled that physicality at the line of scrimmage. If they can stop the run, stop the run, if they can prove that to stop the run, then to me the Dallas Cowboys will be back in the postseason next year. Can we talk about the Micah Parsons of it all? The contract extension that we are waiting on here. Usually at this time of year, we’re talking about Jerry Jones and what he’s saying publicly versus what his actions are are doing or not doing. How do you see that all working out in that affecting what the Cowboys can do this year? Look, he’s arguably the best defensive player. Maybe Miles Garrett’s in that conversation. They have to pay him. It’s going to be roughly $40 million. Probably could have been 35 a year ago. They waited. That’s fine. But what does Michael Parsons want to do? He wants to rush the passer. If we know that, certainly the opposing offensive coordinator knows that. They’re going to make him play the run as well. And again, as Dwood would mention, Courtney, if you can’t stop the run, really nothing else matters. And they wear down defensively. They’re a little bit undersized now. Dearan over coming back off of injury. We’ll see what a difference that makes. Um and again I think Matt Ilflu should be helpful but uh they can rush the passer but you know again offensive coordinators are not going to put Micah Parsons in favorable positions to the extent they can prevent that. Dwood real quick got about 30 seconds here. You said that if Dak plays a full season you expect them to be a winning team. Can you put a number on it? Yeah, I mean, if Dak Prescott plays a full slate, I expect him to win at least 10 10 games this year because that’s what Dak does with the weapons that he usually has around him on offense. So, if he’s healthy, I think I think the floor is 10. All right. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

On First Take, David Dennis Jr., Mike Tannenbaum and Damien Woody discuss expectations for Aaron Rodgers, Justin Fields, the Dallas Cowboys and more this season.

0:00 Would a Week 1 win be sweeter for Rodgers or Fields?
6:14 Who is in a better spot to win: Rodgers or Fields?
12:00 Do you have Chiefs or field to win AFC?
18:00 How confident are you that the Cowboys will make the playoffs?
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