Will Aaron Rodgers play Sunday? That’s the big question for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rodgers is dealing with an injury to his left wrist. Thankfully, that’s his non-throwing hand, so it shouldn’t affect his ability to throw the ball. However, it still might not be safe for Rodgers to play. That would leave Mason Rudolph as the Steelers’ starting quarterback. While it might seem like there’s a large gap between Rudolph and Rodgers’ skill levels, Mike Florio isn’t sure that’s true.
“[Mike] Tomlin made it clear on Thursday there’s three factors,” Florio said Thursday on his Pro Football Talk podcast. “Number one, can they properly support, brace, protect the wrist? Number two, pain tolerance. Number three, functionality. How is he going to play?
“And that’s important because Mason Rudolph, right now, when you look at the way Aaron Rodgers is running the offense, is there really much of a difference between Rodgers and Rudolph at this point? Rudolph’s numbers were actually better in the second half than Rodgers’ were in the first half.”
Rudolph looked fine in relief of Rodgers in the Steelers’ Week 11 game. He completed 12-of-16 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals. Meanwhile, Rodgers completed 9-of-15 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown before getting hurt.
While Rudolph’s numbers were slightly better, it wasn’t by too much. The Steelers’ offense essentially performed at the same level with Rudolph and Rodgers in Week 11. It was really thanks to their defense that the Steelers managed to build such a big lead in a 34-12 win.
That helps explain why Florio questions if there’s a significant difference between Rudolph and Rodgers. While Rudolph played fine, it might be a slight overreaction to say that there’s not much of a distinction between the two quarterbacks. Yes, Rodgers had an ugly day in Week 10, and Week 11 wasn’t a huge improvement, but there are plenty of other examples of him playing well this season.
Rodgers has thrown for 1,969 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions this year. He’s elevated the Steelers’ offense at times. Also, his veteran leadership has been a nice boost for the team as well.
Meanwhile, Rudolph is a career backup. He’s been in the league since 2018, but he’s only started 18 games. While he’s played well at times, including helping the Steelers make the playoffs in 2023, Rudolph hasn’t shown a lot of consistency.
Could the Steelers win a game with Rudolph starting? Yes, but it might take the rest of the team making plays to do that. The Steelers’ defense has been shaky at times, although it’s been better recently. However, if it plays poorly again, Rudolph might not be able to do enough to cover up that weakness. Rodgers is the Steelers’ starter for a reason. We’ll see if he’s healthy enough to suit up this week.
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