Mark Madden: The version of Aaron Rodgers many expected has shown up

The NFL’s quarterbacking situation is nuts.

Forty-four-year-old Philip Rivers is making a comeback with Indianapolis. He’s got a fat backside and extra chins, so he’s my favorite quarterback ever.

Steelers reject Kenny Pickett is likely to start Sunday for Las Vegas against Philadelphia, another of his former teams.

Cleveland rookie Shedeur Sanders has had one good game and is officially a superstar. If Sanders had started all season, the Browns would be in a playoff spot and, in the interest of fairness, should be awarded a postseason berth regardless of the standings.

Jalen Hurts won a Super Bowl for Philadelphia just last season but the talk-show crowd in Philly wants him benched.

If the playoffs started this weekend, they would exclude Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield and Dak Prescott.

The big-time quarterback draft projected for this coming April in Pittsburgh has fizzled, with only one or two QBs currently expected to go in the first round.

It’s interesting with the Steelers, too.

The Aaron Rodgers that many expected has finally showed up.

Not in terms of his play, which has been adequate at best.

But Rodgers told the media to “shut up” about Mike Tomlin’s employment future after the Steelers won at Baltimore this past Sunday.

And he’s referring to inexact route-running and likely using his influence to push veteran receivers Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling into bigger duty, leaving Roman Wilson without a helmet and Calvin Austin III with a diminished role.

Just what the elderly Steelers needed to do: Get even older.

Says Rodgers: “Marquez and Adam out there made a difference from a professionalism standpoint.

“You can’t be fooled by the stat lines for those two guys, because just their presence and them being in the right spot every single time makes a big difference as far as spacing goes.

“They’re pros. They’ve played a lot of football at a high level, so I wasn’t surprised. But it definitely helps with the passing game when everybody’s in the right spot every single time.”

When you consider quotes like that, and that the Steelers run the ball just 42% of the time, ranking just 21st in the NFL, and often quit on the run so quickly, it’s easy to assume that Rodgers has assumed control of the offense, however gradually and quietly.

Other factors might figure in, like minimizing legit tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith in favor of fat-kid novelty act Darnell Washington.

None of this is an accusation, per se.

Rodgers is an all-time great quarterback with four MVPs, a Super Bowl ring and a big personality, albeit passive-aggressive. He was always going to have big influence.

But has it been worth it?

The Steelers are 7-6 and lucky to be that.

Rodgers’ stats are meh. No better. He’s played only a few truly good games (and a handful of stinkers).

His guile can’t be quantified. Or maybe it can: The Steelers are only 7-6, as mentioned, and haven’t won two games in a row in two months.

The Steelers don’t look to be any better off than last year, when they lost their last five games and were one-and-done in the playoffs, failing to win a postseason game for the eighth straight season.

They probably would be doing worse with Mason Rudolph at quarterback, but maybe not and almost certainly not appreciably so.

Every season spent with an old-timey quarterback is another season spent wallowing in staleness, and not moving forward.

If winning a playoff game is a big accomplishment, well, that’s at least possible.

But it’s another reminder of how low the bar is currently set for a six-time Super Bowl-winning franchise, and how haphazard the organization has become.