Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is not at his peak level, but a strong defence gives them a chance

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 was not satisfied with his side of the ball, telling reporter Molly McGrath, “I don’t think we played very good on offence 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 is not 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?

When you consider the parts around Rodgers, perhaps it is not so crazy. As competent as Rodgers was against the Saints, the defence 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 defence 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 defence 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. He’s thrown 13 touchdowns and five interceptions for 1,699 yards through his first seven games this season – Darnold had 12 TDs, four picks and 1,754 yards over the same span in 2025. Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss likened Rodgers to a point guard, noting the advantage he has over other NFL quarterbacks. “Even though he’s up there in age, I think that’s an advantage to him, his mind,” Elliss said after Sunday’s game. “And I think he used that today.”

Maybe Rodgers’s football IQ could catapult Pittsburgh to a deep playoff run in the AFC. Yes, there are the perennial Super Bowl contenders like Kansas City and Buffalo, but no AFC team this season is a winning machine like the Patriots in the Brady-Belichick era.

And, after a ho-hum Super Bowl from a star power perspective, a Rodgers return to the big stage would set off fireworks.

Of course, Rodgers comes with plenty of baggage due to his commitment to his “own research” during Covid, his ridiculous antipathy towards Anthony Fauci and his habit of calling out coaches and team-mates.

Recently, though, he appears to have realised keeping his opinions to himself is probably the best course of action. His worst take over the weekend was appearing to think Peaky Blinders was set in France rather than England. He’s not exactly likable, but considering what he’s said in the past, his recent behaviour seems like progress.

Not that he is completely quiet. In Paris, when asked about the International Series, he let it be known that team owners had considered a 16-game schedule with an entire international week, where teams play all over the world and two byes. Instead, according to Rodgers, they opted for the 17-game schedule to rake in extra cash. Rodgers added that the league “may be a little tight on money,” a refreshing level of shade that will win him some fans.

Realistically, Rodgers and the Steelers will need a good deal of luck to make it to the Super Bowl this year. But that’s the case for plenty of teams. A run to the title game would send Rodgers’s smugness of the charts, but you have to admit that his final game coming on Super Bowl Sunday would be interesting.

MVP of the week

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals. Down 13-0 at the half, the Bengals looked destined for an infuriating loss, an art they specialise in. They had mustered just 49 passing yards, and were struggling to sustain drives. Meanwhile, the supposedly retooled Bengals defence could not get the Ravens off the field. At the half, Baltimore, led by a backup quarterback, had dominated the time of possession 22:20 to 7:40. Yet again, Cincinnati looked like a fringe playoff team not meeting their full potential. And after locking up star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for Joe Burrow in his prime, being a fringe playoff team is not acceptable.

Chase’s half-time team talk seems to have worked. “I told our offence [that] we can’t look at our defence the whole time. We’ve got to step this shit up and make something work,” he said after the game. Burrow, who is chasing his first league MVP, duly played out of his mind. He was essentially perfect after the break, dicing up the Ravens secondary for four touchdowns on four drives with 243 yards and an 89 per cent completion percentage. Burrow made it look effortless as he tends to do at his best.

Stat of the week: 64

How do the Bucs win a game 43-13 when Baker Mayfield only throws 64 passing yards? They faced a Panthers team who were a walking comedy of errors. Mayfield only threw 11 passes in his first game back from dislocating his thumb, and did connect with Tez Johnson for a score. The damage unsurprisingly came on the ground – Tampa rushed for 258 yards and three touchdowns, including two from Bucky Irving, who eclipsed 100 yards. The Bucs also strip-sacked Bryce Young and returned it for a touchdown. Imagine the score if Mayfield was slinging the rock.

Video of the week

Bo Nix came into Sunday’s game with just 37 rushing yards all season. So when the Broncos quarterback nearly doubled that total in one play – a 62-yard touchdown run that gave Denver a late second-quarter lead over Arizona – hell yeah, he was going to add a flourish.

The spin move at the goalline may not have been necessary, but it must have been cathartic. Nix has been criticised for not providing an offensive spark, even though Denver came into the game at 4-2 after negotiating one of the league’s toughest schedules. But Nix looked far more comfortable – and at times electric – in Sunday’s 30-16 win. He finished with the one long rushing touchdown, and 222 passing yards. – Guardian