Aaron Rodgers missed his first game of the season against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, which meant Mason Rudolph got his first start of 2025. And the Steelers were able to move the ball with him at times, scoring three offensive touchdowns on the day.
Yet it wasn’t enough to overcome Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense. Mike Tomlin did like how Rudolph played in certain instances, but he also acknowledged that the Steelers had to be better as a collective offensively.
“I thought he was game. He always is. He made plays for us, particularly in the fourth quarter. But as a collective, him included, we didn’t do enough to win,” Tomlin said after the Steelers’ 31-28 loss via the Steelers’ YouTube channel.
On paper, Rudolph wasn’t bad. He was relatively efficient with 24 completions on 31 attempts, and he did throw a touchdown pass. But his limitations certainly showed as well.
He only threw for 171 yards, which comes out to a dismal 5.5 yards per pass attempt. Rudolph was also intercepted early in the game, underthrowing DK Metcalf slightly, which allowed Nashon Wright to make quite a play on the ball.
While filling in for Rodgers last week, one thing Steelers fans liked about Rudolph was his pocket presence. He looked much more comfortable then compared to Rodgers. That wasn’t the case on Sunday. He was only sacked twice but just didn’t seem to have the same comfortability back there. He also turned the ball over near midfield late in the third quarter, fumbling while being sacked.
One thing the Bears did well to neutralize Rudolph was to take away the underneath stuff. Against the Bengals, he was able to rack up a lot of yards with Darnell Washington and Kenneth Gainwell making great plays after the catch. Rudolph looked to those again this week. However, the Bears were much better when it came to taking those things away.
Tomlin knows his offense didn’t do quite enough, but it’s hard to expect more than what Rudolph gave the Steelers today. He wasn’t explosive through the air, but few backups are able to come in and play at a high level. Rudolph did lead three scoring drives. But there just isn’t a ton else that this offense seems to have to offer.
With Rodgers nearly playing in Chicago, one would imagine he will be able to play against the Bills after having another week of rehab. If he doesn’t the Steelers will have to hope their fate with Mason Rudolph is different next week.
Recommended for you