Aaron Rodgers injury update: Steelers make final decision on QB vs. Bears

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not play against the Chicago Bears on Sunday due to a fracture in his left wrist, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Instead, QB Mason Rudolph will start behind center for the Steelers. Rookie Will Howard will be Rudolph’s backup.

Rodgers’ wrist injury occurred in the second quarter of the Steelers’ 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals last week. Rodgers didn’t play in the second half of the game.

In the win, Rudolph played well, completing 12-of-his-16 pass attempts for 127 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception. Prior to the win against the Bengals, Rudolph had only appeared in two games this season.

Moreover, he’d completed just two passes. Nonetheless, Rudolph is no stranger to stepping up when starting QBs are injured. He did the same for Ben Roethlisberger in 2019 and Will Levis last season.

Aaron Rodgers reportedly made a push to play today, but the Steelers ultimately chose to give him more time to recover. This past week, Rodgers raved about Rudolph’s readiness.

“He’s a great backup,” Rodgers said. “He’s super helpful during the week. He’s a professional. He is ready to play. He’s a gamer, and watching the locker room last week, I was super fired up watching him go up and down the field and those couple drives he had. I’m thankful for the way he played, the way he prepares.

“He’s a lot more type A, I would say, than I am with the preparation. He’s wound a little tight, but it makes it for a good backup of quarterback because he’s so in tune to the details, and I just love being around him.”

Rudolph has a large challenge ahead of him today. The Bears are on a three-game win streak, most recently defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 19-17.

Nonetheless, Rudolph and the Steeelers’ offense could be in for a successful day. Chicago’s defense is allowing 364.6 yards of offense per game, the sixth-most in the NFL. Rudolph will look to take advantage of his opportunity.

“My mindset is to be ready if I need to play,” Rudolph said this past week. It’s a balance. You have to be chomp at the bit every time your number is called. Otherwise, you’re going to miss an opportunity and you won’t be in the right mental state.

“But, I’ve got plenty of experience going back and forth in different roles. So, it’s part of what’s probably chilled out my personality a little bit because I just say screw it and roll with the punches.”

The Steelers and Bears will square off at 1 p.m. ET. The game will air live on CBS.