The Pittsburgh Steelers might have beaten the Bengals and stayed atop the AFC North, but everything now orbits Aaron Rodgers’ wrist. The veteran quarterback exited at halftime with what was initially described as a “slight break” in his left wrist, and further tests will determine how long he is actually sidelined.
In his place, Mason Rudolph stepped in and kept the offense on schedule, but any extended absence for a 41-year-old franchise centerpiece would fundamentally change Pittsburgh’s ceiling for the rest of 2025.
Rodgers’ status is uncertain enough that the Steelers are already looking at contingency plans. As NBC Sports detailed, Rodgers has a fractured wrist, and Mike Tomlin still hasn’t ruled him out for Sunday’s game at the Bears, but the team is preparing as if he might not be available.
Pittsburgh brought in quarterbacks Jason Bean and Tanner Mordecai for workouts, though neither was signed. For now, the depth chart is just Rodgers, Rudolph, and rookie Will Howard, with no passer on the practice squad.
If doctors eventually decide Rodgers can’t play through the fracture, an injured reserve stint would force Pittsburgh to add another arm and lean on Rudolph and Howard for longer than anyone in the building hoped.
Even if Rodgers does miss time, voices are insisting the Steelers’ offense can survive a short stretch without him. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky argued that the unit actually looked more aggressive vertically once Rudolph entered against Cincinnati, pointing to a greater willingness to push the ball downfield and generate chunk plays.
In his view, Rudolph is not Rodgers, but the tape from Sunday suggested Pittsburgh doesn’t have to panic if the backup starts a game or two while the future Hall of Famer rehabs.
Over the long haul, though, nobody in Pittsburgh is under any illusion: for a team built to contend now, every extra evaluation, every backup workout, is a reminder of how fragile this window becomes if Rodgers’ “slight break” turns into a long-term problem.
