EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin gave a shoutout to the new Steelers after Sunday's 34-32 win over the New York Jets . Quarterback Aaron Rodgers , wide receiver DK Metcalf , running back Kenneth Gainwell , tight end Jonnu Smith and cornerback Jalen Ramsey all had key plays in their Steelers debuts.
"I'm excited about the new Steelers, whether they're new to the league or new to us. Man, we got a lot of plays from a lot of new Steelers today," Tomlin said. "And they're earning their place in Steeler lore with their efforts. And we talked about a little bit about that last night. I don't care about what means you get here, man. You play one play for this organization, you're a Steeler. And so a lot of guys etched their names into that legacy with their efforts in play today."
Rodgers had an eye-opening Steelers debut with four touchdown passes in Sunday's 34-32 win over the New York Jets. Rodgers, who has struggled in Week 1 games in recent years, showcased that the old gunslinger still has plenty of juice left.
To say the least, it was the best performance by a Steelers quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired followed the 2021 season. Overall, Rodgers completed 22 of 30 passes (73.3%) for 244 yards with four touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 136.7.
The last time the Steelers had a QB throw for four TDs in a regular-season game was Roethlisberger on Nov. 15, 2020 against the Cincinnati Bengals . Rodgers' 136.7 passer rating against the Jets was the highest passer rating by a Steelers' QB since Roethlisberger in Week 10 of 2018, nearly seven full years ago .
Rodgers is the first Steelers quarterback in franchise history to throw four touchdown passes in Week 1. He's also the first QB in franchise history to throw four touchdowns in a debut.
He was also the first quarterback with 240 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and 0 interceptions in their team debut over the last 60 NFL seasons .
"I just thought he was game all day," head coach Mike Tomlin said about Rodgers' performance. "But you guys asked me all week why I was confident. That's why I was confident. That's what I've been looking at in preparation. I'm appreciative of it, not only his efforts, but the efforts of the collective."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a game against the Jets on Sept. 7, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
With 25 seconds remaining in Sunday's matchup with the Jets and his defense clinging to a 2-point advantage, Ramsey added another clip to his highlights, making sure Garrett Wilson didn't squeeze Justin Fields ' do-or-die pass to secure a 34-32 road win .
"That's expected from him, that's what he do," said tight end Jonnu Smith, who arrived in Pittsburgh with Ramsey, by way of the trade that sent Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami . "That's his résumé. It speaks for itself. We needed that. We needed that."s.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin isn't unfamiliar with Ramsey's game. He was thrilled that the defensive back's ability benefited his side.
"I'm glad he's on my team. I've seen it in stadiums before," Tomlin said. "I've certainly been an appreciator of his skills and talents. Can't say enough about him, man. He played nickel, he played free safety, he played outside corner. He is a top-notch football player and I'm glad he's on our team."
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey had a game-sealing, ball-separating hit on Garrett Wilson in his team's 34-32 win against the New York Jets on Sunday. Ed Thompson/Steelers Now
Metcalf, who was required via a trade with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, had an impressive first outing with the Steelers. Metcalf caught four passes for a team-high 83 yards (20.8 average). He had a key 11-yard grab on the Steelers' drive late in the fourth quarter to set up the 60-yard game-winning field goal for Chris Boswell .
Smith had just five receptions for 15 yards, but he had a 3-yard touchdown reception late in the first half.
Gainwell played more snaps than Jaylen Warren did on Sunday. Gainwell was on the field for 29 plays, taking seven carries for 19 yards and catching another three balls for four yards. Warren paced the Steelers' meager running game, going 37 yards on 11 gives.
Gainwell's biggest play of the game came on special teams, as he forced a fumble on Xavier Gibson on a kick return in the third quarter. Ben Swowronek came up with the loose ball. Two plays later, Rodgers connected to Calvin Austin III for an 18-yard touchdown to give the Steelers a 31-26 lead.
Gainwell's force fumble was the only turnover in the game. In a 2-point win, that play loomed large.
"Can't say enough about Kenny G. That offensive player making a tackle on kickoff and knocking that ball lose, I think [Ben] Skorwronek recovered, man, it's just an example of making plays in all three phasing and being a football player first and a positional player section," Tomlin said.
Rodgers also gave a shouout to Gainwell for the key forced fumble.
"Was that Kenny that stripped it? I didn't know who stripped it, but I think Ben recovered it, didn't he? That was a big turning point for sure," Rodgers said. "Now, they went down and scored again, but our defense played much better in the second half and were opportunistic. Obviously, special teams came up big today. The best part about Week One victories like this is there's so much correctable tape on there, it's like a coach's dream journal right there to win, but also to have some correctable moments. I'm sure all the coaches are going to be watching the film on the way back and not celebrating and remembering, it's so hard to win in this league that you should enjoy it for a little bit at least."
Alan Saunders and Brenden Howe provided reporting for East Rutherford N.J.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : New Steelers Shine in Win over Jets: 'They're Earning Their Place in Steeler Lore'
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