Aaron Rodgers and his championship belt have been joined by a real piece of hardware—he was named the Super Bowl XLV MVP minutes after leading the Green Bay Packers to their first Super Bowl victory in 14 years. So much for living in Brett Favre’s shadow—Rodgers threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns and managed to hold off a late comeback from a more-experienced Pittsburgh Steelers club in the fourth quarter.
Rodgers’s favorite target was Jordy Nelson, who caught nine passes for 140 yards and a touchdown; he, Greg Jennings, and James Jones proved just good enough despite some dropped passes that cost the Packers some real scoring chances. Donald Driver, who won his first Super Bowl at 35, was injured in the first quarter after two early catches.
Rodgers’s dominant performance capped off a playoff run that saw him throw nine touchdowns and two interceptions in four games. With Brett Favre, never a Super Bowl MVP, off the stage, Rodgers has finally, belatedly put himself in the Green Bay—and NFL—pantheon.