Wednesday links: Who’s the Steelers MVP so far?

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It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for a weekly Steelers links roundup at BTSC. But first, let’s take a look around the AFC North:

What’s the latest on the Steelers’ upcoming opponent?

Now, onto some

Steelers news and discussion:

NFL Week 14 grades

(By CBS Sports’ John Breech): B — Steelers: Aaron Rodgers finally figured out how to get the Steelers offense going: Just throw the ball to DK Metcalf. Rodgers threw for 284 yards and 148 of that went to Metcalf, including a 52-yard pass on Pittsburgh’s first play from scrimmage that set the offensive tone for the game. Defensively, the Steelers almost always go a good job slowing down Lamar Jackson and that was the case here: The Ravens QB got sacked twice and James Pierre came up with a huge interception in the first half that set up a Steelers touchdown. The Steelers (7-6) don’t win pretty, but they do win, and that’s all that matters. With this victory, they now have control of the AFC North.

A B grade? After the last few weeks of Steelers football, that’s great news.

NFL Admits Wrong Call in Steelers vs. Ravens Game

(From SI’s Jacob Punturi): Baltimore defender Travis Jones rushed past long snapper Christian Kuntz, knocking him over. The officiating crew on the field threw the flag and called him for roughing the snapper. The penalty awarded the Steelers a first down, and they scored on the ensuing play.

…

Now, the league is saying the officiating crew was wrong. According to Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, the league admitted to him that they botched that call. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic shared the update via his X account.

Most of the referee discourse from Steelers-Ravens has been around the overturned Isaiah Likely touchdown. However, the game’s worst call was actually the rouging the snapper call on Baltimore’s Travis Jones, which was immediately obvious as a bad call after the first replay.

Pittsburgh Steeler Star Cam Heyward Talks About His Asthma Journey

(From Forbes’ Bruce Y. Lee): “I would want to go outside in those cold temperatures in Pittsburgh [where he grew up] and couldn’t do it because I had to stay inside to protect my chest,” Heyward recalled. “As I got older, as I got more active, whether it was in sports or with allergies, with dogs and being around Christmas trees, I spent my fair share of time in the hospital because of it.”

It’s a sponsored interview, but still a worthwhile read about the star defensive lineman.

Who should be the Steelers’ MVP for the 2025 season?

(From The Sporting News’ Jim Racalto): Aaron Rodgers was signed for pressure-packed games, division races, and postseason pushes. If he leads the Steelers to an AFC North title and snaps the franchise’s nearly decade-long postseason win drought, the MVP decision becomes clear. As impactful as Gainwell has been, the Steelers’ 2025 season will ultimately be defined by No. 8. For that reason, Aaron Rodgers stands as the likely—and fitting—team MVP.

Racalto makes the case between Aaron Rodgers and Kenneth Gainwell. Both have certainly made some big plays this season, but Rodgers has arguably been one of the main reasons for the team’s losses as of late, and Gainwell, while electric, isn’t even an every-down player.

Who do you think the Steelers MVP should be?

I’ll throw a new name out there: right tackle Troy Fautanu. He hasn’t had a perfect season, but has been the face of the Steeler offensive line’s big step forward in pass protection this season. He’s allowed just one sack this year per PFF, and been a big part of keeping veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers upright.

In my mind, an MVP is a player who is both in the conversation for best on the team, and someone the roster cannot afford to lose. That would fit Fautanu this year.

Who do you think the Steelers’ team MVP is? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!