Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers were able to secure a massive 23-9 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Cleveland's offense struggled throughout the majority of the matchup, and Rodgers was able to play at an elite level for most of the contest. The veteran quarterback was credited with a total of 235 yards and two touchdowns, but Rodgers' stellar performance against Cleveland was mostly due to an elite showing from Pittsburgh's offensive line.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers prepares to throw downfield vs the Seattle Seahawks.
The offensive line had its best game of the 2025 season on Sunday. Broderick Jones was elite in stopping Myles Garrett and the rest of the Browns' defensive line, and the talented big man had one of the better performances of his young career against Cleveland.
Broderick Jones may have just played his best game as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
— Parker Abate (@SNParker_) October 12, 2025
Rodgers took a moment to share his thoughts on Jones' performance after the game, and he praised Jones for his efforts against the Browns on Sunday.
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Broderick Jones (#77) sets up at the line of scrimmage and prepares to block during a 2023 preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Rodgers spoke about the negativity that has surrounded Jones on social media as well, with the veteran claiming he hopes the talented lineman hasn't paid much attention to any of it.
"Well hopefully he wasn't reading it, but based on the questions I was getting Week 3 there's probably some negative stuff out there about how he was playing." Rodgers stated. "I got a lot of confidence in him."
Rodgers continued to talk about Jones' locker room presence, and he believes that the young lineman still has a chance to be a very good player in the NFL,
"I really enjoy his energy. Sometimes I try to kick him in the a** a little bit in practice to get him going, but I like his positivity," Rodgers noted. "He's always the first one to come celebrate with me on the field, I appreciate that, and I appreciate him rising to the challenge this week. Obviously, when you're playing a generational type of player like that there's not going to be a ton of one on one's. We are going to throw different things at [Garrett], but when he had singles, you know [Broderick], I have to look at the film, but I think he played pretty well."
Both Rodgers and Jones had one of their better games as Steelers against the Browns on Sunday. The future Hall Of Fame quarterback had elite protection throughout the majority of the afternoon, and Rodgers was able to play at a very high level as a result.
Jones and the Steelers' offensive line as a whole will look to continue the upward trend on Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals as the unit will go up against superstar defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson and the rest of Cincinnati's defensive unit.
Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images
Steelers' Week 7 opponent Trey Hendrickson.
Rodgers will look to play at a high level once again on Thursday. The veteran quarterback has limited the amount of hits he has taken over recent weeks and he could quickly continue to improve as the offensive line plays better. Jones and the rest of the Steelers' offensive line have played significantly better since Pittsburgh's Week 4 matchup in Ireland and the unit will look to continue protecting Rodgers at all costs.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Could Shine With Additional Protection
Rodgers has continued to improve as the offensive line plays better. The veteran quarterback has had much more time to work with opposed to what fans saw earlier in the 2025 season, and Rodgers could quickly keep improving if the offensive line continues to progress. Jones will have an excellent opportunity to play at an elite level once again on Thursday as the Steelers will be faced with another crucial AFC North matchup.
Rodgers could truly shine with additional protection. The veteran has proven to perform with good protection in the past, and Rodgers could get back to playing like the older version of himself if Jones continues to perform. Pittsburgh will face the Bengals on Thursday night where Rodgers and the rest of the Steelers' offense will look to send a message to the entire AFC.
Both Jones and Rodgers have played much better over recent weeks. The veteran quarterback will need as much protection as he could possibly get in his 21st NFL season and the offensive line did an excellent job in doing so against the Browns. The offensive line will look to work efficiently once again on Thursday as Pittsburgh finds itself with two crucial matchups in back to back weeks.
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