Aaron Rodgers is nowhere near this season’s MVP conversation. At times in his second season with the Steelers, the almost 43-year-old has shown glimpses of the player he was in his prime, slinging the ball with zest and precision, able to suss out any coverage. Other times he has looked like, well, a guy in his 40s playing a young man’s game.
Rodgers looked more like prime Rodgers in the Steelers’ gritty 16-10 win over the Saints in Paris. He wasn’t satisfied with his side of the ball, telling reporter Molly McGrath, “I don’t think we played very good on offense today.” But Rodgers did enough to secure the win, including a 51-yard strike to DK Metcalf in the second quarter. He later scrambled for a first down on third-and-six to secure the win.
Sure, there were points left on the table – the Steelers had several stalled drives and only scored one touchdown in four red-zone trips – and 16 points against a two-win team isn’t impressive. But the Steelers left France with a win, a 5-2 record and a ton of upside. So here’s a crazy thought: Could Rodgers win a Super Bowl in his final NFL season?
But when you consider the parts around Rodgers, perhaps it’s not so crazy. As competent as Rodgers was against the Saints, the defense stole the show. They smothered Saints quarterback Tyler Shough, and shut down the Saints run game as Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen had predicted.
This Steelers run defense is punishing and only improving. In Weeks 1-4, they allowed 4.5 yards per carry. Over the last three weeks, it has dropped to 2.8 yards per carry.
All told, Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed just three touchdowns in the last 15 quarters. That is some 2025 Seahawks-level domination. Offensively, Rodgers is no worse than Sam Darnold was last year when the Seahawks won the Super Bowl.
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