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. 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 teammates. Recently, though, he appears to have realized 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 behavior seems like progress.

Not that he’s 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 specialize in. They had mustered just 49 passing yards, and were struggling to sustain drives. Meanwhile, the supposedly retooled Bengals defense couldn’t 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 isn’t acceptable.

Chase’s halftime team talk seems to have worked. “I told our offense [that] we can’t look at our defense 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% 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 criticized 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.

Elsewhere around the league

-- The Chiefs were undefeated going into their game with 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 had been 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, hauling in 150 receiving yards in his team’s 20-3 win. “One hell of a game from Sam Darnold,” said Smith-Njigba, slightly underplaying his own contribution.

–- The Dolphins are no longer winless after humiliating the Jets 28-25 at MetLife. Geno Smith was outplayed by Malik Willis, who played clean football and was able to scramble at will, especially in the first half. Jeff Hafley outcoached Aaron Glenn, not a hard feat. Given New York’s talent advantage, they have no business losing at home to a 0-5 team with severe salary cap issues. But when the Dolphins have the ball for the final nine minutes of the first half and Glenn enters the break with all three timeouts remaining, winning is difficult. The Jets’ star receiver, Garrett Wilson, has cut a frustrated figure recently and was only targeted 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,” said Wilson. “I don’t even think I was talking to Geno.” This fan on Reddit summed it up best.

–- The Minnesota Vikings moved to 6-0 after an ugly 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. This was not the game that will leave the rest of the NFL believing the Vikings are a juggernaut. Colts kicker Spencer Shrader missed two field goals, and Minnesota sealed the win after Daniel Jones delivered a ball right to Harrison Smith. But the Vikings are the only undefeated team left 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 very much in contention in a weak NFC East. It was a masterclass by the Giants’ offensive line and running backs against a Houston team who were favored by 10.5 points. Cam Skattebo tore through the Texans line with 18 carries, 124 yards and a touchdown, a week after being benched. In his first start for New York, JJ McCarthy was sensational. While he had no passing touchdowns, 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 the disappointment for Houston: Tank Dell caught his first pass in 673 days. Dell suffered a torn ACL, MCL, LCL and a dislocated kneecap in late 2024, and his return is miraculous after a plethora of surgeries.

–- The Atlanta Falcons handed the San Francisco 49ers their first loss of the season. The Falcons were opportunistic in the 29-20 win after a series of miscues by the 49ers. Brock Purdy threw two interceptions, including one on a pass he meant to be thrown away. The injured Mike Evans’s absence was felt keenly, and Christian McCaffrey missed a chunk of the game with a thigh injury, though he did return. Given the thin wide receiver corps in San Francisco, perhaps there’s an unhappy camper they can pursue.