Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers still seems set to play but appears to have injured his hand during pregame warmups shortly before Sunday’s kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts. As caught and shared by the CBS broadcast, Rodgers was flexing his right throwing hand and showing C Zach Frazier the back of his hand during warmups.
“Aaron Rodgers may have injured his hand during warmups,” studio analyst Matt Ryan said.
It’s not clear how the injury occurred or the severity of it. The broadcast noted Rodgers continued throwing throughout the session, but cameras caught him regularly flexing his hand and he seemed to be in some level of discomfort. Rodgers still seems on track to start the game, but the situation is worth monitoring against an aggressive Colts pass rush.
Tony Romo speculated that Rodgers may have jammed his hand while taking snaps from a backup center.
Pittsburgh enters the game with just two quarterbacks on its 53-man roster. Mason Rudolph is Rodgers’ backup, appearing only in mop-up duty this season. He’s completed both of his pass attempts for 12 yards.
Rookie QB Will Howard returned to practice last week but the Steelers, despite having an open roster spot, opted against activating him from injured reserve to their 53-man roster for today’s game. That would’ve allowed Howard to be inactive but serve as the emergency third-string quarterback.
Pittsburgh goes into the game with several defensive injuries, including playing without multiple safeties. Jalen Ramsey is expected to play exclusively at free safety today.
The Colts aren’t strangers to pre-game injuries. Earlier this year, QB Anthony Richardson suffered an orbital bone fracture after a resistance band snapped and hit him in the face. The same day, CB Charvarius Ward collided with a teammate and suffered a concussion that ultimately sent him to injured reserve.
The Steelers and Colts kick off at 1 PM/EST.
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