Aaron Rodgers' brother, Jordan, has shared his public support for the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback, much to the dismay of ESPN colleague Stephen A. Smith.
The Steelers have claimed the top spot in the AFC North following their victory over the Cleveland Browns at the weekend. In what is one of the most competitive divisions in football, the Steelers have a one-game advantage over the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, analysts like Tom Brady have been cautious about placing the Steelers in their top 10 in their weekly power rankings. Despite this, Jordan Rodgers has admitted that there is no other quarterback in the AFC who he has more faith in than his brother, Aaron.
Smith recently said the Steelers can't make the Super Bowl despite being a big admirer of Rodgers' game. The top ESPN analyst made his feelings clear on set as Jordan publicly backed his brother ahead of the second half of the season.
"This one might surprise you a little bit: I'm going to go Rodgers, and here's why. I think Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now; him and Caleb Williams are right up there for me. The Steelers know who they are, though. They have an elite defence that is playing at a high level, and they run the ball. Yeah, they do. So they are asking less of Aaron than maybe he has ever had asked of him at any point in his career, right?" said Rodgers.
"He needs to manage the run game. He needs to find opportunities to get his playmakers in space, like Jaylen Warren and Darnell Washington, and get a few opportunities to DK. I just feel like I trust the guy that has got the MVPs, that has the veteran status, that has seen everything, and where it is also not required to have everything on him for them to win. I think that's a good sweet spot they are in."
Smith's reaction was there for all to see as he looked far from amused by Jordan picking his brother over players like Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence.
This take comes on the back of Rodgers failing to throw a single touchdown at the weekend in the win over the Cleveland Browns. The 42-year-old veteran was also picked off by the Browns in the comfortable win for the Steelers.
Questions still remain over how good this Steelers team actually is given the only team of note they have really beaten is the Bengals. The Steelers face the Denver Broncos and the Jacksonville Jaguars in the coming weeks which will provide a real test for just where the team is at.
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