Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin indicated that starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return for his team next week against the Buffalo Bills after missing last Sunday
00:10 ET, 25 Nov 2025
Aaron Rodgers
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Mike Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers currently have the Steelers at 6-5(Image: Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers seemed desperate to play against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Instead, the impact of his lingering wrist injury proved debilitating, and coach Mike Tomlin opted for backup Mason Rudolph instead.
Pittsburgh fell 31-28 in a hard-fought effort to the Chicago Bears, dropping to 6-5 on the season and into a tie for first in the AFC North with the rampant Baltimore Ravens.
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Tomlin announced that Rodgers will return next weekend against the Buffalo Bills, the same team against whom the future Hall of Fame QB injured his Achilles tendon during Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season while he was a member of the New York Jets.
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"I anticipate him being ready for next week [against the Buffalo Bills]," Tomlin said postgame. "It was a prudent decision to make [to sit him].
"Certainly, it wasn't a fluid week for him," he added, referencing Rodgers's practice schedule. The 41-year-old was absent at Wednesday's practice before he was listed as a limited participant on Thursday and Friday.
Aaron Rodgers
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Rodgers was forced to look on last week in Chicago from the sidelines(Image: Getty Images)
Tomlin then praised the veteran. "He's the type of guy — and has the type of profile — that doesn't require a lot of physical work in an effort to be ready to play," he said. "And that's helpful."
Rodgers arrived at the game three hours early and took a lap around the field. Many of his teammates were unaware that he wouldn't be playing.
"It was a fluid week for Mason in terms of reps and so forth," Tomlin said of his backup quarterback.
Mason Rudolph
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Mason Rudolph couldn't do quite enough to lead the Steelers to a win against the Bears(Image: Getty Images)
Rodgers boasts a career 24-5 record against the Bears in his career with 64 touchdowns, an NFL best against a single franchise.
Rudolph was intercepted on the first play of the game, targeting top wideout D.K. Metcalf on a 50-50 ball.
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He settled in after that, completing 24 of his 31 overall passes for 171 yards with a touchdown and a pick (as well as a lost fumble).
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Rodgers will enter next Sunday against the Bills with a 6-4 record on the season. He's completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 1,969 yards with a 19-7 touchdown-interception ratio. His 43.9 QBR ranks 24th in the NFL.
The Steelers, at 6-5, still have two games remaining against the Ravens before the end of the season. Baltimore currently has the better divisional record, owning a 2-1 mark against the AFC North to Pittsburgh's 2-0 record.