It is not every day a former Illinois football star gets to go up against a future Hall of Fame quarterback.
There are so many Illini scattered throughout the NFL nowadays that eventually, a former member of the Orange and Blue will run up against one of the game’s great players.
On Sunday, the New England Patriots welcomed the Pittsburgh Steelers. This used to be a game between Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger, but those days are long gone. This rendition featured Aaron Rodgers behind center for the Steelers and Drake Maye for the Patriots.
Rodgers struggled in the game, throwing for 187 yards and finishing with a 26.8 QBR. The big highlight of the game came midway through the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh was trying to close the margin to 20-10. They had the ball in the red zone. Rodgers tried to dump the ball off to Germie Bernard, but former Illinois outside linebacker Gabe Jacas came down with the interception.
The 11-play, 75-yard drive, and essentially the game, ended with the Jacas interception. After the game, Rodgers found Jacas and didn’t mince words with his high praise.
The one line from Rodgers says it all, “great f***ing job man.”
“Great f***ing job man.”
— Morey Hershgordon (@MHershgordon) September 20, 2026
Wow. Immense praise from future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers for #Patriots rookie pass rusher Gabe Jacas. @7News pic.twitter.com/vMBLkTPcjX
No matter your thoughts on Rodgers, this high praise is coming from a future Hall of Fame quarterback. He is a four-time first-team All-Pro, 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback, and he won a Super Bowl. Rodgers knows talent on the other side of the field because he has seen it for 22 years of playing. The fact that he gave that praise to Jacas is pretty special.
It isn’t too surprising that Gabe Jacas is a monster after his time with the Illinois football program
Jacas has always been a great player. His development from a sub-1000 recruit in the class of 2022 to being an All-Big Ten player and All-American was fun to watch. He was dominant on the field for the Illini.
The quick transition into the NFL isn’t a surprise either. Jacas knows what it is like to enter a new environment and thrive early on. He started eight games and played in all 13 contests as a true freshman in Champaign. He was also a Freshman All-American.
Jacas’ ability to adapt to his environment has been evident throughout his career. He is now in the NFL ranks and is only two games into his time as a professional, and already, Jacas is getting love from one of the best to ever throw the football. If this is what game two looks like, can you imagine year two? Special things to come.
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