Has Aaron Rodgers surprised NFL executives early into Steelers stint?

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers guided the Pittsburgh Steelers to four wins in five tries before he and current Cincinnati Bengals starter Joe Flacco produced an entertaining "Thursday Night Football" shootout that Pittsburgh lost, 33-31, on Oct. 16. 

For a piece published Tuesday, Jeff Howe of The Athletic spoke with NFL executives from other teams about how Rodgers played for the Steelers across his first six games with the AFC North club.

Aaron Rodgers still has something left in the tank

"Aaron has looked good so far," one executive told Howe. "The end of last year was not bad, and he can still throw the ball. His mobility is not what it used to be, but he is still savvy and accurate." 

The executive was referencing how Rodgers tallied eight touchdown passes and three interceptions over his final four games with the New York Jets last season. Despite those numbers, the new-look Jets regime of head coach Aaron Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey decided to replace Rodgers with Justin Fields. That may go down as one of the worst decisions made by a club during this past offseason. 

ESPN stats show that Rodgers ended Week 7 ranked 19th in the NFL among qualified players with a 55.0 adjusted QBR and 10th with a 105.0 passer rating. Only three quarterbacks recorded more touchdown passes than Rodgers (14) over the campaign's first seven weeks. That's impressive considering Pittsburgh already had its bye. 

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Rodgers somewhat looked like the player of old as he slid around in the pocket against the Bengals and when he unleashed a pass for what became a 68-yard touchdown with under 2:30 left in regulation of that contest. 

"Rodgers can still spin it," a different executive added about the 41-year-old. "He can still win at the line of scrimmage. The mobility isn’t what it was, but the Steelers help him with the running game. They’re going to keep winning games. He’s exactly what they needed there. If they can keep him upright and healthy, they’ll continue to get better."

Rodgers will look to continue spinning it when the Steelers host the Green Bay Packers (4-1-1), his former club, this Sunday night. As of Tuesday afternoon, ESPN BET had Pittsburgh as a 3.5-point underdog for that prime-time showdown.