Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane is looking forward to facing veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the Week 2 matchup between his former squad and his current team, the New England Patriots — and why wouldn't he be?
Spillane picked off Rodgers in the last game between the two teams in Foxborough, Massachusetts last September. The Steelers eventually won that game, 21-14 , and now Spillane, a captain in New England , is hoping he can repeat that performance in a winning effort.
"It's going to be an exciting match up," Spillane said with the media about facing his former team and the future Hall of Fame quarterback. " Aaron Rodgers , obviously, what is he in his twenty-third year, twenty-second year? Still got it. Still can sling the ball from sideline to sideline, fifty yards down the field, quick trigger, his mobility seemed to be better than it was last year, so, he's gonna be a fun challenge for us this weekend."
That interception to Spillane was one of the few missteps for Rodgers in New England last season, but it was not a highly productive day for him. He finished that game 16 of 23 for 139 and two touchdowns compared to the one interception.
SPILLANE INTERCEPTION ON AARON RODGERS pic.twitter.com/qNC6lLu9cW
— Savage (@Savageboston) September 21, 2025
In his first game of his second season in the Steel City, Rodgers seemed to turn back the clock and showed flashes of his prime in Sunday's win against the Atlanta Falcons , even if the box score didn't necessarily reflect that. He completed 24 of 40 passes, for 221 yards, including a touchdown, and zero interceptions for a quarterback rating of 83.4.
In New England's opener against the defending Super Bowl champions the Seattle Seahawks , Spillane recorded 8 total tackles (7 solo and 1 assisted) and played 50 defensive snaps (100%). Spillane is in his second year with the Patriots after spending a couple of years in Las Vegas with the Raiders , and prior to that he played for the Steelers from 2019-2022, after signing with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Robert Spillane on Dec. 11, 2022. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
During his career with the Steelers from 2019 -22, Spillane played in 50 games, starting in 16, in which he recorded 191 combined tackles (128 solo, and 63 assisted tackles), 3 sacks, and an interception returned for a touchdown against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens during the 2020 season.
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