Aaron Rodgers’ first season in Pittsburgh is already fueling MVP talk, and former NFL defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora thinks the conversation should go all the way to the top.
Umenyiora recently put Rodgers forward as his pick for the league’s top individual honor, leaning on the quarterback’s latest surge through the air. His reasoning was simple and direct.
"Aaron Rodgers, three touchdowns, three games in a row. Last time he did that, MVP. Aaron Rodgers, MVP this year," Umenyiora said on the NFL UK and Ireland's YouTube Channel.
Rodgers backed up the buzz again in Week 5, throwing three touchdown passes in the Steelers’ 34-22 win over the Indianapolis Colts. That performance helped Pittsburgh keep rolling while giving the veteran another strong line in his opening season with the team.
The stretch also connects back to Rodgers’ Green Bay days. The last time he had at least three touchdown passes in three straight games was during his 2021 season, when he went on to win his fourth MVP award.
That’s the comparison Umenyiora is banking on, even if Rodgers still has plenty of season left to prove he can keep this pace going. Rodgers has already won the MVP four times, with the most recent coming in 2021.
Another trophy would move him into even rarer air. A fifth MVP would tie him with Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history.
For now, Umenyiora’s message is clear: Rodgers is already in the MVP picture, and if this run keeps up, he may wind up at the center of it.
In Other News...
Steelers Suddenly Face A Very Different Quarterback Test In Week 6
The quarterback picture in Tampa Bay has shifted again, and it changes the feel of what the Steelers are getting ready for in Week 6. Baker Mayfield will miss another game because of a dislocated thumb, leaving Pittsburgh to prepare for an undrafted rookie who has already spent the last two weeks learning on the fly while handling the offense.
Jalon Daniels has thrown for 337 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions so far, and the challenge for the Steelers is less about a familiar veteran script and more about discipline. Pittsburgh is stressing pass rush lanes to keep Daniels from escaping the pocket and to limit what he can do with both his mobility and arm strength, which makes this matchup a different kind of test than the one it expected earlier in the week. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Have A Rico Dowdle Decision To Make
Rico Dowdles status has become a quiet but important subplot for the Steelers as they head deeper into the fall. The running back has missed three games with a toe injury, though he was close to getting back on the field in Week 5 and could be in line to return in Week 6, which only adds to the sense that Pittsburgh is nearing a decision point on a player it views as a key backup in the backfield.
The bigger question is whether the Steelers treat Dowdle as part of the long-term plan or as a piece that could draw outside interest before the November 10 deadline. He is under contract through 2027, so Pittsburgh has every reason to hold onto him unless the season starts to veer off course and the teams playoff outlook changes in a meaningful way. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers WR Depth Suddenly Looks Like A Bigger Problem
The Steelers receiver room has gone from thin to a legitimate roster concern in short order. Roman Wilson, Michael Pittman Jr. and Ben Skowronek are all dealing with injuries, and the group is already being stretched toward the kind of depth chart reshuffling that forces a team to dip into every available option. With Germie Bernard and DK Metcalf among the names expected to carry more of the load, Pittsburgh is also likely to need help from the practice squad, including Brandon Smith.
Michael Pittman Jr. being on injured reserve is one thing, but the longer absence now looming there only sharpens the urgency around the position. The bigger question is how the Steelers keep enough healthy bodies in the room to get through the next stretch, especially with another injury situation still developing and the possibility of the depth chart thinning even further. [Read more 🡒]