Back when the Pittsburgh Steelers were still waiting for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision last spring, the veteran quarterback dropped a few easter eggs. One came during the summer, when he remarked that his team for the 2025 season would be playing the Chicago Bears. He loves to play against the Bears and has dominated them throughout his career.
However, he might not get the chance to do so this Sunday. Rodgers hurt his left wrist and had to miss the second half of the Steelers’ win over the Bengals. It doesn’t appear to be a serious injury, but if Steelers insider Gerry Dulac had to guess, he’d assume Rodgers misses Sunday’s clash.
“He hurt it the other day when he fell. If that happens again, now all of a sudden, the injury is a little bit worse. I’m going to guess, based on all that, he is not going to play. I’m certainly not ruling it out. But I also know they’re comfortable if Mason Rudolph has to play. It would be different if it was just Will Howard, for example, the rookie who just came off IR. Knowing what Mason Rudolph is capable of doing, and knowing the potential risk of maybe a greater injury,” Dulac said Tuesday on The Rich Eisen Show. “That’s gonna be my guess. But I’m not gonna rule him out either.”
The risk of reinjury is always something to consider as players get back to full health. With Aaron Rodgers, it’s a bigger deal. He is turning 42 soon, and there are still seven games left before the playoffs begin. In the heat of a playoff race, of course, the Steelers want to win games. However, if Rodgers rushes back and he gets hurt again, or reaggravates the same injury, they’ve just compounded their problem.
That said, Mike Tomlin mentioned on Tuesday that how Rodgers feels will impact his game status. Tomlin’s going to trust his quarterback, and if it were up to Rodgers, he would have played last week. Mike Florio mentioned Sunday that Rodgers wanted to come back into the game, to which the Steelers declined.
As of now, whether Rodgers suits up next Sunday remains up in the air. Ian Rapoport calls it a 50/50 chance. Tom Pelissero also says there’s a chance he plays this week. Ultimately, we have to see how the week unfolds.
But as Dulac mentions, the comfort Mason Rudolph provides in situations like this can’t be overlooked. The offense didn’t skip a beat once he entered the game. He didn’t make any mistakes, made a couple of big throws, and let a strong defensive performance help the Steelers along to a win. Having a veteran who can come in and stabilize things makes life without Rodgers significantly easier.
That said, the Steelers do have to win games. And as well as Rudolph played last week, which convinced some that he gives the Steelers a better chance to win, Mike Tomlin is going to trust Rodgers more. With just a one-game lead in the division, if Aaron Rodgers feels healthy enough, Tomlin may play him anyway.
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