11/18/25 01:13:00
Printable Page
11/18 13:11 CST Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers and his broken wrist could still play
against the Bears
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers and his broken wrist could still play against the
Bears
By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) --- Aaron Rodgers might get a chance to say goodbye to one of
his favorite places after all.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday there's a chance that Rodgers and his
fractured left wrist could still play on Sunday when the Steelers visit Chicago.
Rodgers injured his non-throwing wrist late in the first half of Pittsburgh's
32-14 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday. While Tomlin said Rodgers wanted to
come back in, the four-time MVP remained in the locker room for evaluation
while backup Mason Rudolph helped the AFC North-leading Steelers pull away to
improve to 6-4.
The 41-year-old Rodgers, the NFL's oldest active player, will not need surgery
on the wrist. He will not practice on Wednesday. What happens after that will
depend on how Rodgers adjusts to the brace he will wear and how that impacts
his ability to operate normally.
Tomlin doesn't expect pain tolerance to be an issue, though Rodgers will have
to show he's able to protect himself.
Rudolph, who filled in capably in the second half against the Bengals, would
start for Pittsburgh against the NFC North-leading Bears (7-3) if Rodgers can't
go.
Rodgers has a long history with Chicago, dating to his highly successful run in
Green Bay earlier in his career. He is 11-1 as a starter at Soldier Field and
once famously proclaimed he "owned" one of the NFL's oldest franchises.
Tomlin brushed aside the idea that Rodgers' dominance over the Bears will play
a factor in whether he plays.
"Aaron always wants to play. Opponent has nothing to do with it," Tomlin said.
"It's his love affair with the game of football."
Tomlin isn't sure exactly when Rodgers sustained the injury, though cameras
caught Rodgers clutching the wrist after a second-down heave to the back of the
end zone with Pittsburgh driving late in the first half. Rodgers was hit at the
end of the play, though he did stay in to make one more pass, an incompletion
to Roman Wilson.
Rudolph completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown against the
Bengals and will practice with the starters until Rodgers returns, whenever
that might be.
Tomlin has sometimes allowed veteran players to miss an entire week of practice
and then play on Sunday. Former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger spent a week on
the COVID-19 list in 2021 but was cleared to play the night before a visit to
the Los Angeles Chargers.
The unknown of how the brace will affect Rodgers means he won't be given that
accommodation. Tomlin said the team will need to see how the brace affects what
he called Rodgers' "functionality" before deciding whether he can play.
Asked what kind of input Rodgers will have, the NFL's longest-tenured head
coach chuckled.
"It's his body, so certainly he's gonna be a component of the discussion,"
Tomlin said.
Rudolph gives Pittsburgh a reliable fallback option. The 30-year-old --- now in
his second stint with the Steelers following a lengthy run as primarily a
backup from 2018-23 --- memorably won three straight starts at the end of the
2023 season to help the Steelers make the playoffs.
"He's proven over his time here that he's capable of coming in and playing
winning football for us," Tomlin said. "And that's no small task."
While offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Rodgers work closely in putting
the game plan together, Smith also seeks input from Rudolph, one of the reasons
Pittsburgh's offense didn't miss a beat against the Bengals and the NFL's worst
defense.
The challenge will be more difficult in Chicago, where the Steelers have won
just once in 13 tries. The Bears lead the NFL in takeaways and are second in
third-down efficiency.
Rodgers isn't the only player whose status is uncertain for this week. Outside
linebacker Alex Highsmith continues to deal with a pectoral injury that forced
him to sit out against the Bengals. Cornerback Darius Slay could be back after
spending last week in the concussion protocol.
Running back Jaylen Warren, who injured his ankle in the third quarter against
Cincinnati, will be limited this week but could be available. Kenny Gainwell
compiled 105 total yards and two receiving touchdowns on Sunday while getting
an expanded look, which seems likely to continue.
While Warren was cleared to return late against the Bengals --- and even went
back onto the field at one point, only for the Steelers to call timeout ---
Tomlin opted to stick with Gainwell, whom Tomlin felt had the "hot hand."
The trip to Soldier Field begins a daunting three-week stretch for Pittsburgh,
which has a tenuous one-game lead over Baltimore. Pittsburgh hosts Buffalo on
Nov. 29, then opens December by visiting the Ravens.
NOTES: Tomlin, who initially took issue with cornerback Jalen Ramsey being
ejected on Sunday for taking a swing at Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase,
offered a different perspective on Tuesday, a day after the league suspended
Chase one game for spitting on Ramsey. Asked how he'd like to see Ramsey
address something similar in the future, Tomlin said: "I have no message if
someone spits in your face. Do what comes natural."
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
|
