The Pittsburgh Steelers want to improve their start to the 2025 NFL season after going 1-1 with a win over the New York Jets and a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Aaron Rodgers has been in the spotlight for his performance in the first games, and now he could face a solid New England Patriots defense.
Rodgers has already made it clear that the Patriots’ defense demands attention. “They got some new players and those guys are playing well. It looks like a Mike Vrabel’s defense. The way they fly around, the different looks they’ve got. The aggressive blitzing nature that they do. So, they’re playing good on defense,” he said in recent hours.
The Pats are also 1-1 after a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and a Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins, with Drake Maye showing a strong level ahead of his quarterback duel against Rodgers. It will be a tough test for Pittsburgh, especially with a key defender returning in New England.
Who is the pass rusher returning for the Patriots?
The Patriots welcome back defensive end Keion White, who returned to practice after an absence due to an unspecified illness. Although he didn’t play in the Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins, White is expected to play a key role in the Patriots’ pass rush in their upcoming game against Pittsburgh.
The Patriots had their full roster available in practice, but the highlight was the return of the former Georgia Tech standout, who participated fully in the team’s second practice of Week 3, showing encouraging signs ahead of the matchup with the Steelers.
A challenge for Rodgers
Rodgers will face a strong defensive opponent with the ability to disrupt attacks. Even offensively, Mike Tomlin noted that he wouldn’t hesitate to ask A-Rod to run a quarterback sneak, meaning that if Pittsburgh decides to take risky offensive approaches, they’ll have to deal with a tough Patriots defense.