Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers are heating up at just the right time. Monday night’s win marked their second straight victory, pushing them to 8-6 on the season. But while the momentum is real, the road to the playoffs-and a potential AFC North title-is far from smooth.
The Steelers are locked in a tight divisional race with the 7-7 Baltimore Ravens, and the final stretch of the season could come down to a mix of execution, resilience, and a little help from some familiar faces. Rodgers may not wear green and gold anymore, but his old team in Green Bay could end up playing a pivotal role in his new team’s postseason hopes.
The AFC North Race: A Three-Week Sprint
Here’s where things stand: Pittsburgh and Baltimore are neck-and-neck in the AFC North. They’ll face off in Week 18 in what could be a winner-take-all showdown. But before that, both teams have two crucial games that could shift the balance of power in the division.
Baltimore has a tougher road ahead. They host the 11-3 New England Patriots in Week 16-a game that’s anything but a gimme.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh will face the 8-6 Detroit Lions. If the Steelers can handle business and the Ravens stumble against New England, Pittsburgh could be in position to clinch the division in Week 17.
That would snap a four-year drought without a division crown-Pittsburgh’s longest since the late '80s. And it just so happens that the Ravens’ Week 17 opponent is the 9-4-1 Green Bay Packers, who still have plenty to play for themselves.
Old Friends in Familiar Places
Rodgers spent 18 seasons in Green Bay, collecting four MVPs and a Super Bowl ring along the way. His exit after the 2022 season wasn’t exactly a storybook farewell, but the ties to his old team haven’t completely faded.
Over the past few years, Rodgers has brought a few familiar faces along with him-Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling followed him to New York, and Davante Adams eventually joined him in Pittsburgh. When the Steelers played the Packers earlier this season, Rodgers was seen catching up with former teammates, coaches, and staff. The relationships are still there, and now, those connections could have real playoff implications.
If the Steelers win their next two games-against Detroit and Cleveland-and the Ravens drop either of their next two (against New England or Green Bay), Pittsburgh takes the AFC North.
A Little Help from Wisconsin?
Green Bay could be the team that tips the scales. And the irony? They might need Pittsburgh’s help, too.
The Packers are still battling for a playoff spot in the NFC, and their path includes avoiding a loss to the Chicago Bears this weekend. But they’d also benefit from a Steelers win over the Lions. So while Rodgers and the Packers may have gone their separate ways, both teams could find themselves rooting for each other in the short term.
It’s a rare moment of mutual benefit between two of the NFL’s most storied franchises, now loosely tied together by one of the game’s all-time great quarterbacks. Rodgers may not be in Green Bay anymore, but the echoes of his legacy could still shape the playoff picture-on both sides of the league.
So yes, the Steelers still have work to do. But with a little help from Rodgers’ old crew, Pittsburgh might just find themselves back atop the AFC North-and back in the postseason mix after a three-year absence.