Aaron Rodgers is carrying crippling fear into new NFL season

In what is expected to be his final NFL season, Aaron Rodgers has an underlying, crippling fear that places Super Bowl expectations on his new team, Pittsburgh Steelers - protecting his illustrious legacy. 

For most of Rodgers career, he was a playoff fixture, leading strong teams deep into the postseason with an ease few signal callers in NFL history have displayed. 

None of that form was present in his two seasons with the New York Jets. Expectations were derailed, first with his torn Achilles four offensive snaps into his tenure in The Big Apple, then showing his age with an underperforming squad in 2024, where everyone, but Rodgers, seemingly got blamed for the team's issues. 

Now, a source tells Daily Mail that Rodgers does not have to wait until February for his own personal Super Bowl, as his Steelers debut will take place at MetLife Stadium, dressed up in green, as he'll stare at a re-tooled Jets defense under the new head coach who sent him into NFL exile, Aaron Glenn. 

'Aaron's current Super Bowl is the game against the Jets,' the source told Daily Mail. 'If the Steelers lose that game, it would be devastating. Aaron wants to blow them out, not let them score and in a perfect scenario he would win the game by 60 points.'

'This is likely Aaron's last year, and he wants to make it through the season uninjured. If the Steelers don't make the playoffs this year, Aaron's legacy will take a spectacular hit, so this season and the success of it all is important to him.'

'They have a lot to work on, but like every year, it is Super Bowl or bust for Aaron and everything will start and materialize from what happens with the Jets game, that will determine where he is at and where the team is at, it is very important for Aaron to get over that hurdle.' 

Rodgers publicly did downplay how much facing the Jets would mean to him, despite his fear of starting his Pennsylvania stay on the wrong foot. 

'Yeah, it's Week 1,' Rodgers said of the familiar opposition on Wednesday, likely keeping his true disdain for the organization closer to his chest, and not in turn giving New York bulletin-board material.

The Steelers do not have high expectations league-wide, as oddsmakers have Pittsburgh's over-under for victories at 8.5, giving the team exactly .500 odds to finish with a losing and winning record. 

Pittsburgh has not won a playoff game since 2016, finishing its last six postseason games with a loss. The Steelers have not appeared in the Divisional round since 2017. 

Getting the Steelers over the hump will be a monumental task for Rodgers, who will turn 42 in December.  

Defying expectations would cement Rodgers as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time should Pittsburgh return to its blue blood ways.  

The insider has told Daily Mail that Rodgers is squarely focused on his legacy during the 2025 season, with his NFL days numbered.