Aaron

Rodgers

This was a low-scoring affair for the first three-plus quarters until both offenses caught fire. Rodgers took advantage of a flat-footed corner with under a minute left to fire the game-winning touchdown pass to Calvin Austin, and the Steelers took the AFC North after Tyler Loop’s field goal went wide as time expired. Rodgers has at least one more game left in his career, and he’ll face the vaunted Texans’ defense in the Wild Card Round.

Rodgers told ESPN’s Brooke Pryor that he has not yet “thought about” whether he would like to return to the Steelers, or even continue playing in the NFL, next year. The Steelers (9-7) sit atop the AFC North. If they beat the Ravens (8-8) this week, they punch their ticket to the postseason. Once the Steelers’ season comes to a close, the veteran quarterback will begin considering his options. He signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract with the Steelers last offseason and will enter free agency at the end of the year.

Rodgers and company could’ve used a better option on the outside than Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Adam Thielen. The Steelers struggled to move the ball through the air all afternoon against the Steelers, and struggled on the ground late. On the Steelers’ final drive of the game, Rodgers connected on long gains with Scotty Miller and Pat Friermuth to get down to the Browns’ seven-yard line. Three-straight incomplete passes to MVS in the end zone stalled a potential game-tying drive, handing the Steelers a loss and a must-win Week 18 matchup against the Ravens. Rodgers will again be without Metcalf next week in a game that will determine the AFC North winner.

Rodgers and the Steelers got rolling in the second half. Pittsburgh put up 19 points over the final two quarters and Rodgers routinely extended drives on third down with clutch throws. His lone touchdown came on a miraculous throw to Kenneth Gainwell. Rodgers’ back was tackled by Alex Anzalone well before the ball made it to him. The ball somehow landed in Gainwell’s hands while he was lying on the ground. He shot up to sprinted into the end zone for one of the stranger touchdowns you will see this year. Rodgers shouldn’t have to throw the ball nearly as much next week when he takes on the Browns. He will be a low-end QB2 in Week 17.

Multiple records and milestones were reached in this one. First off, offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was full-on Arthur Smith-ing as the Steelers became the first team in NFL history with rushing scores by two different tight ends in the same game, the first scored by Connor Heyward on Pittsburgh’s version of the tush push from one yard out and the second a rushing score by former Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith for the revenge narrative. Second, the Steelers scored on four consecutive possessions for the first time since 2018 to break the game open in the third quarter. Third, their defense held the Dolphins to -20 total yards in the third quarter, the fewest for any team in a quarter since at least 2019. And finally, Rodgers moved into third in career games with two or more touchdown passes after connecting with Marquez Valdes-Scantling and DK Metcalf in the third quarter. Rodgers was not tasked with much while attempting only 27 passes due to the defensive battle and remains an uneasy start in fantasy circles in 2025.

Rodgers, moving well throughout, was far more aggressive than usual in their big Week 14 win over the fading Ravens, pushing the ball downfield throughout and using DK Metcalf as a deep threat for the first time in 2025. Metcalf went for 148 yards on a team-leading 12 targets, and Rodgers’ 8.5 yards per attempt was well over his season-long rate of 6.7, the lowest of his NFL career. Rodgers had a number of accurate, tight window throws while avoiding oncoming rushers. The 42-year-old quarterback was, as usual, intent on not taking the big hit, and did a good job protecting his injured left wrist. More aggressive downfield passing for Rodgers could make him a more interesting fantasy option in the fantasy playoffs. He gets the Dolphins in Week 15.

This game determines which team takes over first place in the AFC North. Both squads are 6-6. Rodgers practiced fully on Thursday and Friday, which is positive. He does not need to be in single-quarterback lineups, though, profiling as a low-end superflex QB2 at best.

We’d be surprised if Rodgers wasn’t up for Week 14’s game against the Ravens — it’s a huge game in the AFC North standings — but he didn’t exactly deliver a lot to the table in Week 13. From a fantasy perspective, he’s a low-end superflex QB2 at best. And after his 117-yard scoreless performance, you can argue he should be even lower.

Rodgers sat out last Wednesday’s practice as well. He practiced fully on Thursday and Friday before taking the field on game day. He also injured his nose in Week 13 against the Bills, which we imagine is quite sore. Barring a setback, Rodgers will take on the Ravens this weekend.

Rodgers came back after missing a week and played through a fractured left wrist. He also missed one drive in this game after taking a big sack from Joey Bosa. The 41-year-old came back in, but his team was unable to move the ball on a windy night against a Bills defense that has been battered by more than a few teams this season. That means that both the Steelers and the Ravens will be 6-6 when they face off for the division lead in Week 14. Rodgers remains just a mid-tier QB2 for that showdown.