Aaron Rodgers is giving the Steelers exactly what they signed up for: steady quarterback play right now, not some long-range promise about what comes next.
That matters in Pittsburgh, where the idea isn’t about developing a future face of the franchise. It’s about getting useful football from a veteran who can still steer the offense, and Rodgers is doing that while bringing the kind of presence that comes with years in the league. He’s not flawless, and he’s not exactly simple to figure out, but the production is hard to ignore.
The Steelers’ 34-22 win over the Colts in Week 5 only reinforced that point. Rodgers kept moving, kept throwing, and kept showing he’s not going quietly.
USA Today’s latest breakdown of “risers and sleepers” across the NFL after Week 5 had Rodgers among the players on the rise. He was listed as a quarterback worth watching and, from a fantasy standpoint, a player teams may want to add.
That comes with a nice bit of timing for Pittsburgh’s next test. The Steelers face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and Tampa Bay has only one win this season.
“Over the last three weeks, only Joe Burrow and Drake Maye have recorded more fantasy points than Rodgers,” Elisha Twerski of USA Today notes, sharing a great statistic for Rodgers. “The 42-year-old has racked up three touchdown passes in three consecutive outings.”
He also pointed out the challenge ahead: “The Week 6 matchup isn't ideal, as the Bucs have limited quarterbacks to the ninth-fewest fantasy points at the position. That said, those in need of a streamer might want to ride the hot hand.”
For the Steelers, the bottom line is simple. Rodgers is trending the right way, and if that keeps up, he may be the one who helps take this team where it has wanted to go for years. It also certainly helps to have his former coach Mike McCarthy back in the lead.
In Other News...
Steelers Finally Showed Progress That Could Change The AFC North Race
After a sluggish stretch to open the season, the Steelers at least gave themselves something to build on in Week 5 with a cleaner offensive showing and a win over the Colts. The broader AFC North picture only made that performance loom larger, because Baltimore kept winning even without Lamar Jackson, Cincinnati continued to flash and falter against lesser opponents, and Cleveland took a damaging loss to the Jets.
Jaylen Warren helped set the tone for Pittsburgh, while the defense did its part by keeping Jonathan Taylor in check and making the Colts work for every inch. In a division where every result seems to move the pecking order, the Steelers suddenly look like a team with a real argument to stay in the race, even if the next step is proving this was more than one encouraging afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Tomlins NFL Future Just Became A Steelers Story Again
Mike Tomlins next move is suddenly back on the NFL radar, and it has a Steelers angle even though he is no longer on the sideline in Pittsburgh. After stepping down following the 2025 season, Tomlin spent the 2026 campaign as an NBC studio analyst, a brief detour for a coach whose name still carries serious weight around the league. For a franchise that defined a long stretch of his career, the question now is less about what he did in Pittsburgh and more about whether his coaching chapter is actually finished.
Reports around the league have started to connect Tomlins future to a possible return if the timing lines up, which is why this feels like more than idle offseason chatter. If he does decide to coach again, there is no shortage of teams that could come calling, and the list is already getting attention among the leagues usual quarterback-needy and stability-seeking franchises. For Steelers fans, the intrigue is obvious: even after stepping away, Tomlin remains one of the most consequential names in the coaching market, and his next decision could ripple well beyond Pittsburgh. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers QB Future Is Already Fueling A New First Round Debate
The Steelers are sitting at 3-2 in the AFC North, but the bigger-picture chatter around the franchise is already drifting beyond this season and into the draft board a couple of years down the road. With a difficult stretch ahead, some analysts think Pittsburgh could wind up selecting somewhere in the middle of the first round in 2027, which is enough to put the quarterback conversation front and center again.
One name starting to circulate is Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, whose play this season has drawn attention for more than just production. He has shown an ability to keep the offense on schedule, avoid negative plays and add value as a runner, traits that naturally stand out for a team that has spent years managing questions about its long-term answer under center. Even with that buzz building, the real debate in Pittsburgh is still less about the name and more about how aggressively the Steelers would be willing to chase their next quarterback. [Read more 🡒]