Squeaking, smugness…and suitor? Aaron Rodgers could still say goodbye to the Super Bowl | Aaron Rodgers

AAaron Rodgers is far from being the MVP of this NFL season. At times during his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the almost 43-year-old showed glimpses of the player he was in his prime, throwing the ball with enthusiasm and accuracy, able to sniff out any coverage. Other times he looked like a guy in his forties playing a young man’s game.

Rodgers looked more like Rodgers during the Steelers’ 16-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in Paris. He wasn’t happy with his side of the ball, telling reporter Molly McGrath: “I don’t think we played very well on offense today.” But Rodgers did enough to secure the victory, including a 51-yard strike to DK Metcalf in the second quarter. He then rushed to get a first down on third-and-6 to secure the victory.

Sure, there were still points on the table — the Steelers had several stops and scored just one touchdown in four trips to the red zone — 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 games surrounding Rodgers, maybe it’s not so crazy. As competent as Rodgers was against the Saints, the defense stole the show. This stifled Saints quarterback Tyler Shough and ended the Saints running game as Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen predicted. This Steelers run defense is punishing and only getting better. In Weeks 1-4, he allowed 4.5 yards per carry. Over the past three weeks, that number has dropped to 2.8 yards per carry. In total, Pittsburgh’s defense has allowed just three touchdowns over the final 15 quarters. That’s Seahawks-level dominance in 2025.

Offensively, Rodgers is no worse than Sam Darnold was last year when the Seahawks won the Super Bowl. He’s thrown 13 touchdown passes and five interceptions for 1,699 yards in his first seven games — Darnold has 12 touchdowns, four picks and 1,754 yards over the same span in 2025. Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss compared Rodgers to a point guard, noting the advantage he has over other NFL quarterbacks. “Even though he’s very old, I think it’s an advantage for him, for his mind,” Elliss said after Sunday’s game. “And I think he used that today.”

Perhaps Rodgers’ football IQ could propel Pittsburgh to a deep playoff run in the AFC. Yes, there are the perennial Super Bowl contenders like Kansas City and Buffalo, but no team in the AFC 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 a lot of baggage due to his engagement in his “own research” during the pandemic, his ridiculous antipathy toward Anthony Fauci, and his habit of calling out coaches and teammates. Recently, however, he seems to have realized that keeping his opinions to himself is probably the best course of action. His worst view of the weekend was thinking that Peaky Blinders was set in France rather than England. He’s not exactly likeable, but considering what he’s said in the past, his recent behavior seems like progress.

Not that it’s completely silent. In Paris, when asked about the International Series, he said NFL owners had considered a 16-game schedule with two byes and a full international week, where teams play all over the world. Instead, according to Rodgers, they opted for the 17-game schedule to raise extra money. Rodgers added that the league “might be a little strapped for cash,” a refreshing level of gloominess that will win him fans.

In reality, Rodgers and the Steelers will need a lot of luck to get to the Super Bowl this year. But that’s the case for many teams. A run to the title game would take Rodgers’ conceit off the charts, but you have to admit his final game on Super Bowl Sunday would be interesting.

MVP of the week

Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals. Trailing 13-0 at halftime, the Bengals seemed destined for a maddening defeat, an art in which they specialize. They had only mustered 49 passing yards and were struggling to maintain drives. Meanwhile, the Bengals’ supposedly retooled defense couldn’t get the Ravens off the field. At halftime, Baltimore, led by a backup quarterback, had dominated the time of possession 22:20 to 7:40. Once again, Cincinnati looked like a fringe playoff team that wasn’t reaching its full potential. And after locking up star receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for Joe Burrow in his prime, being a fringe team in the playoffs is not acceptable.

Chase’s halftime team talk seems to have worked. “I told our offense we can’t look at our defense all the time. We’ve got to step this shit up and make something work,” he said after the game. Burrow, chasing his first league MVP, duly played crazy. He was essentially perfect after the break, carving up the Ravens secondary for four touchdowns on four drives with 243 yards and an 89% completion percentage. Burrow made it look effortless, as he tends to do his best.

Statistic of the week

64. How do the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win a game 43-13 when Baker Mayfield only threw for 64 passing yards? They faced a Carolina Panthers team that was a walking comedy of errors. Mayfield threw just 11 passes in his first game after dislocating his thumb and connected with Tez Johnson for a score. Unsurprisingly, the damage came on the ground – Tampa totaled 258 yards and three touchdowns, including two from Bucky Irving, who eclipsed 100 yards. The Bucs also pulled Bryce Young and returned it for a touchdown. Imagine the result if Mayfield threw the rock.

Video of the week

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

The goal-line spin may not have been necessary, but it must have been cathartic. Nix was criticized for failing to provide an offensive spark, even though Denver entered the game at 4-2 after negotiating one of the toughest schedules in the league. But Nix looked much more comfortable — and electric at times — in Sunday’s 30-16 victory. He finished with a long rushing touchdown and 222 passing yards.

Elsewhere in the league

– The Chiefs were undefeated heading into their game against the Super Bowl champion Seahawks, but we knew Kansas City had flaws. Patrick Mahomes has been good rather than great, the receiving corps is ravaged and their schedule was soft to start the season. On Sunday Night Football, they were overwhelmed by Seattle, whose defense became the first unit this season to make former Seahawk Kenneth Walker III look human. And Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba was terrifying once again, racking up 150 receiving yards in his team’s 20-3 victory. “A hell of a game from Sam Darnold,” Smith-Njigba said, slightly downplaying his own contribution.

–- The Miami Dolphins are no longer winless after humiliating the New York Jets 28-25 at MetLife. Geno Smith was outplayed by Malik Willis, who played clean football and was able to get by at will, especially in the first half. Jeff Hafley beat Aaron Glenn, which is not a difficult feat. Given New York’s talent advantage, they have no reason to lose at home to an 0-5 team with serious salary cap issues. But when the Dolphins have the ball for the final nine minutes of the first half and Glenn comes in at the break with three timeouts remaining, winning is tough. Jets star receiver Garrett Wilson has been frustrated recently and was targeted just three times on Sunday. CBS cameras caught him yelling on the sidelines, although he later denied his anger was directed at his quarterback, Geno Smith. “We were collaborating,” Wilson said. “I don’t even think I was talking to Geno.” This fan on Reddit summed it up best.

– The Minnesota Vikings improved to 6-0 after an ugly 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. This isn’t the game that will leave the rest of the NFL thinking the Vikings are a juggernaut. Colts kicker Spencer Shrader missed two field goals and Minnesota sealed the victory after Daniel Jones threw a ball directly to safety Harrison Smith. But the Vikings are the only undefeated team in the league, something few would have predicted at the start of the season.

– The Houston Texans fell to 2-5 after a 27-21 overtime loss to the New York Giants, who move to 4-2-1 and are in deep contention in a weak NFC East. It was a masterclass from the Giants offensive line and running backs against a Houston team favored by 10.5 points. Cam Skattebo broke through the Texans line with 17 carries, 124 yards and a touchdown, a week after being benched. In his first start for New York, JJ McCarthy was sensational. Although he didn’t throw a passing touchdown, McCarthy (20 of 28, 252 yards and no turnovers) was comfortable in the pocket and able to anticipate coverage under pressure. One bright spot amid Houston’s disappointment: Tank Dell caught his first pass in 673 days. Dell suffered a torn ACL, MCL, LCL and dislocated patella in late 2024, and his return is miraculous after a plethora of surgeries.

– The Atlanta Falcons handed the San Francisco 49ers their first defeat of the season. The Falcons were opportunistic in the 29-20 victory after a series of mistakes by the 49ers. Brock Purdy threw two interceptions, including one on a pass he wanted to throw away. The absence of injured Mike Evans was felt hard and Christian McCaffrey missed part of the match with a thigh injury, although he returned. Given the weak receiving corps in San Francisco, there may be a disgruntled camper they can pursue.