By Travers Cummings
Steelers over Jets (Sunday noon): Old, washed-up Aaron Rodgers is on his retirement tour this season (he’s hinted this will be his last), and what better way to start it off than against the team that dumped him this past summer? Whatever ambitions Rodgers and the Jets had last year failed miserably, so they bid him adieu and signed former Bears and Steelers QB Justin Fields. A few months later, Rodgers found himself wearing black and yellow, along with a Week 1 matchup against the Jets. Playing your former team always gives you a little extra incentive to perform well, as you want to prove they made a mistake by letting you go. I think the Steelers have a slightly better roster than New York, so Aaron should get the Week 1 victory—although it might not be the most enjoyable game to watch.
Dolphins over Colts (Sunday noon): Both of these teams’ head coaches are on the hot seat this year, so neither can afford a slow start. The experiment with Anthony Richardson seems to be over in Indianapolis. When you can’t beat out Daniel Jones for the starting job, it’s time for a change of scenery. Don’t expect Jones to work wonders with this offence either, but at the very least, he knows how to complete a five-yard pass. As usual, if Miami has any hope of being competitive this year, Tua Tagovailoa must stay healthy. We saw last year how this team operates without him in the lineup—it’s awful, dreadful, disgusting, and painful to watch. Keeping him upright will be the key. They have one of the fastest groups of offensive players in the league with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane, but Tua is the gas that makes it work.
49ers over Seattle (Sunday afternoon): San Francisco is looking to return to its 2023 form after a pretty abysmal 2024 season that made me very sad. Injuries ravaged the roster last year, most notably Christian McCaffrey, who ended up being out far longer than anyone anticipated. Even when he returned, he wasn’t very effective, and then he found himself injured again and missed the rest of the season. But now he is 100% healthy (or as healthy as a 29-year-old running back with a lot of mileage can be). The defence went back to the drawing board, bringing in their former defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, Brock Purdy was paid a boatload of money ($265 million, to be exact), and they have the easiest schedule in the entire league. Depth at the receiver position might be an issue, but I think the run game will be able to compensate.