The 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers have played decent football this season. They added Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf to this offense and then Jalen Ramsey on defense. They are leading the AFC North, but are facing issues with this offense now that Rodgers is dealing with a fractured wrist. Mason Rudolph is taking the reins of the offense, and it could lead to more uncertainty than expected.
ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said he did not think the Steelers' offense would miss Rodgers much if he missed a game or two and Mason Rudolph took over the starting job. He said that the Steelers can weather that absence, and it would not be the end of the world if Rudolph started on Tuesday's episode of “NFL Live.”
“I actually thought the offense looked better once Mason Rudolph went into the football game. I think the one thing that stood out was the willingness, the ability to throw the ball down the field,” Orlovsky said. “That's something that this offense just does not do right now with Aaron. And when Mason Rudolph went in there, there was much more chunk, explosive, throw the ball past 10-15 yards down the field.
“So I think if you're the Steelers, I'm not sitting here telling everybody that Mason Rudolph is Aaron Rodgers, but I don't think you're sitting there completely worried that Mason Rudolph potentially has to play, 'cause I think your offense looked better (against the Bengals) than it did with Aaron.”
Orlovsky's overall take makes sense if the Steelers need to use Rudolph for a short time, such as in one or two games. However, Rudolph is still a step down from Rodgers overall, and they can't maintain their division lead if they have to rely on him. The wrist injury could depend on its severity.
On Sunday, Rudolph completed 12-for-16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals in relief of Rodgers, but he only attempted three passes 10 yards or longer, and completed only one of those. While the offense still looked solid against the Bengals with Rudolph, it was not all that different, so he should be fine in the short term with Rodgers out.
