Aaron Rodgers achieved multiple historic milestones during Pittsburgh’s 34-22 win over Indianapolis on Sunday, propelling his farewell season to a 3-2 record. The quarterback surpassed Hall of Famer Peyton Manning on the career touchdown pass list when he connected with Jaylen Warren on an 80-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Rodgers and Manning had been tied at 579 touchdown passes prior to the game, with Rodgers now holding sole possession of third place behind Tom Brady (737) and Drew Brees (608).
In his postgame comments, Rodgers acknowledged the significance of joining Manning among football’s elite. “Anytime you’re in the same sentence as Peyton [Manning], that definitely does mean a lot to me,” he said. This achievement comes as Manning remains the only player with more league MVP awards than Rodgers, having won the honor five times compared to Rodgers’ four selections.
Rodgers also moved past former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in starting wins, now holding sole possession of fifth all-time with 166 regular-season victories. He became the first Pittsburgh quarterback since Terry Bradshaw to throw three touchdowns in three consecutive games. Against Indianapolis, Rodgers completed 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns despite having three receivers unavailable due to injury.
The Steelers’ offensive performance was bolstered by contributions from multiple players. Jaylen Warren distinguished himself with both an 80-yard receiving touchdown and 101 rushing yards on 15 carries, becoming the first player since 1986 to record both an 80-yard receiving touchdown and a 50-yard rushing touchdown in the same game. Tight end Pat Freiermuth caught two touchdown passes, while rookie receiver Germie Bernard accumulated 80 yards on six receptions.
Defensively, Pittsburgh forced five field goals and recorded two turnovers on downs as Indianapolis mounted a late comeback attempt. Linebacker Payton Wilson posted 10 tackles with a key pass breakup, while defensive back Jalen Ramsey contributed nine tackles despite playing with a broken wrist. With the home victory, the Steelers improved to 3-0 at home this season heading into their next matchup against Tampa Bay.
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