Aaron Rodgers can still play quarterback at a high level, that much is clear through the first seven weeks of the season. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ gamble this offseason on the 41-year-old quarterback has paid off in a big way.
Rodgers has been everything the Steelers hoped he’d be, from a great leader on and off the field for a young offense, to a quarterback who can still make all of the throws and find ways to win close games.
Many around the NFL are starting to buy into Rodgers’ play, too. That includes both NFL.com’s Nick Shook and CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, each of whom have Rodgers on the cusp of being in the top 10 in their latest QB rankings.
For Benjamin, Rodgers moved up one spot ahead of the Steelers’ Week 8 matchup with the Green Bay Packers to No. 12 overall, ahead of names like Indianapolis’ Daniel Jones and Los Angeles’ Justin Herbert. Meanwhile, Shook has Rodgers at No. 13 overall, right behind Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Detroit’s Jared Goff.
Pretty good company for Rodgers to be in right now.
“It’s wild Rodgers isn’t making more headlines for his vintage touch after an offseason of the media yapping about his future,” Benjamin writes. “He’s not been perfect, but he’s certainly tossing the ball with more ease and timely accuracy than most 41-year-olds.”
After the speculation about what Rodgers had left in the tank, not to mention the questions about his fit with the Steelers under head coach Mike Tomlin, it’s awfully quiet around Rodgers lately, even this week leading up to the Packers matchup.
That’s a credit to Rodgers for putting his head down, fitting into the culture very well in Pittsburgh, and letting his play do the talking. He’s not the flashy quarterback he once was, but the arm talent is still ridiculously good. And his production has been outstanding, too, as he’s one pace to break the Steelers’ record for touchdown passes in a season.
Not bad for a 41-year-old quarterback.
His performance on Thursday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 was a sight to see, too. The throw to Pat Freiermuth for the 68-yard touchdown to give the Steelers a late lead was remarkable with him off balance and fading away yet still throwing a strike.
Then, there was the Hail Mary that traveled nearly 70 yards in the air and gave the Steelers a chance to win the jump ball. The arm taken is still exceptional, and he’s moving very well, too, extending plays and helping his offensive line by avoiding pressure.
“We saw Aaron Rodgers can still fire it with the best of them. The seed he threw to Pat Freiermuth gave the Steelers a late lead over the Bengals and reminded us of the arm talent Rodgers has always possessed,” Shook writes. “He made a terrible mistake when he threw a 50/50 ball to DK Metcalf that was never there (and was intercepted by Jordan Battle), but otherwise, Rodgers pushed the offense forward, albeit in a loss.”
The first interception Rodgers threw against the Bengals was ill-advised, though DK Metcalf gets some blame for it, too. The second interception was fluky, and it probably shouldn’t have been an interception looking at it further. But it ultimately went for one, and it helped change the game entirely.
Still, outside of those two mistakes, Rodgers was outstanding against the Bengals. He’s been quite good all season, and should have another big showing in Week 8, this time against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.
