Aaron Rodgers delivers perfect response to Terry Bradshaw after FOX NFL star's comments

Aaron Rodgers has silenced the doubts of Terry Bradshaw with his stunning debut performance in the Pittsburgh Steelers' win over the New York Jets. The FOX NFL Sunday pundit had previously slammed the Steelers' pursuit of Rodgers during the off-season, branding the potential signing of the veteran quarterback as a "joke" decision.

Speaking in a May interview, Bradshaw said: "That's a joke. That to me is just a joke. What are you going to do? Bring him in for one year, are you kidding me? That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there." Yet the former Super Bowl winner's scathing remarks about Rodgers have spectacularly backfired, as the 41-year-old delivered a masterclass in Pittsburgh's 2025 season opener.

He made history by becoming the first Steelers quarterback to fire four touchdown passes in his debut appearance. The veteran also achieved the unprecedented feat of recording 240 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions - a first in the NFL's entire 60-season history.

Rodgers' commanding display against the Jets marked the Steelers' first four-touchdown performance since Ben Roethlisberger's era. His exceptional 136.7 passer rating represented the franchise's highest since week 10 in 2018 - nearly seven years ago.

Head coach Mike Tomlin lavished praise on his veteran star, explaining that Rodgers' calibre gave him complete confidence ahead of the week one clash. He said: "I just thought he was game all day.

"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."

The Steelers triumphed over the Jets 34-32 at MetLife Stadium with a second-half display that epitomised Rodgers' brilliance. The quarterback threw two touchdowns in just 50 seconds, before Chris Boswell hit the decisive field goal from 60 yards to secure Pittsburgh's victory over New York.

Rodgers completed 22 of 30 pass attempts, racking up 244 yards and delivering touchdown passes to Calvin Austin III, Jonnu Smith, Jaylen Warren and Ben Skowronek. The quarterback also had some payback to deliver against his former side, following two difficult seasons with the Jets.

After an Achilles injury that sidelined him for the entire 2023 campaign, Rodgers endured more defeats than victories in 2024, posting a 5-12 record in New York. Following his spectacular triumph in week one, the quarterback exited to angry reactions from the Jets fans, but he revealed his true character by cupping his ear and dismissing the hostile reception.

After the game, Rodgers expressed considerable satisfaction about beating the Jets during his post-game media briefing. He said: "There were probably people in the organisation that didn't think I could play anymore. So, it was nice to remind those people that I still can."

Speaking on his feelings towards the victory, Rodgers added: "I love beating everybody, so it doesn't matter who it is. I really only played 18 games here, so I was actually talking to Breece [Hall] about that.

"He said, 'How's it feel?' I said, 'Honestly, I was here for two years, but it doesn't come close to how it's going to feel playing Green Bay because that was 18 years in my career.' So it was nice to win, especially hearing some of the catcalls out there and the boo birds. I'm not sensitive about that. I expected that. I kind of liked that."