The Pittsburgh Steelers are well and truly leading the charge in the AFC North after defeating the Miami Dolphins 28-15. QB1 Aaron Rodgers had one of his best performances in the yellow and black, throwing for 224 yards on 23-of-27 passing and two touchdowns. After this incredible effort, Rodgers had special praise for Kenneth Gainwell and demanded that the running back be paid his worth by the Steelers.

“I mean, yeah, it’s really every game,” Rodgers said in the MNF post-match press conference. “I think the run that he had, 38 yards on a simple inside zone weak, just his vision. Just fun to watch. I can’t tell you exactly what I call him every week because there’s some expletives in there, but I love playing with him. I really do. He’s as smart as they come. He’s super smart, and I still cannot believe what we got him for.”

“For a guy that’s making damn near vet minimum, he’s been a tremendous asset to our team this year.”

Rodgers can’t believe what the Steelers paid for Gainwell, calling for a much-deserved pay raise after his game-changing 38-yard run.

With his words, Aaron Rodgers highlighted Kenneth Gainwell’s crucial 38-yard run, which emerged as the turning point for Pittsburgh against Miami in the MNF game. In the third quarter, AROD opted for a shotgun action and handed the ball to Gainwell, who broke through Miami’s defense before completing the longest run of the game. Two plays later, Rodgers threw a touchdown to Marquez Valdes-Scantling to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead.

Alongside this play, the 26-year-old rushed for 80 yards on 13 carries (6.2 average) and had seven receptions for 46 yards (6.6 average) as he continues to function as a backbone of Pittsburgh’s running game this season after signing a one-year, $1.79 million contract. For his salary, Gainwell has emerged as one of the best offseason pickups, recording 451 yards on 93 carries and four touchdowns. He has also caught 65 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns.

Extending his praise for Gainwell, Aaron Rodgers also made his plans clear for his star running back during his media address.

“I told him a long time ago that my goal was to get him paid because I’ve been a fan of his since he was in Philly, and I thought every time he went in the game, something good happens,” the Steelers QB1 added.

Alongside Kenneth Gainwell, Aaron Rodgers also made it a point to celebrate the efforts of the other ‘castoffs’ from the Steelers’ roster.

Aaron Rodgers praises Pittsburgh’s ‘castoffs’ after win over Miami

After defeating the Baltimore Ravens in their previous game, the Pittsburgh Steelers needed to ensure another victory to solidify their top spot in the AFC North. Hence, against the Miami Dolphins, the Steelers showed out with what seemed like a lineup full of players who were written off by other teams in the league.

“There’s some castoffs if you look at our roster, which makes it really special,” Rodgers said. “Kenny Gainwell signed a next-to-nothing contract. Connor Heyward, an afterthought, had a touchdown run. Marquez has been on a couple of teams. Adam Thielen got cut. Samuel was on the street for a long time. So it says a lot about the character of the guys we brought in.”

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Alongside Kenneth Gainwell’s heroics, both Heyward and Valdes-Scantling scored touchdowns in the win. Asante Samuel Jr. secured an interception on a promising Dolphins drive in the first quarter, and Adam Thielen played the second-most snaps of any Steelers wide receiver, recording seven yards on his singular catch.

With these combined efforts, Pittsburgh recorded its first back-to-back wins since October. Now, with the Steelers firing on all cylinders, they will look to continue this winning momentum against the Detroit Lions as they travel to Ford Field for a big-ticket Week 16 matchup.