PITTSBURGH — Quarterback Aaron Rodgers fractured his left wrist during the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but the injury will not require surgery, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.
The injury puts Rodgers’ status in question for Sunday’s game in Chicago.
“Really, it’s just about bracing it and securing it for his comfort and safety, and then it’s about how functional he is,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “We don’t have the answers to that, as we stand here today, but certainly I would imagine we will get some clarity as we push through the week.”
Tomlin said that Rodgers, 41, is not scheduled to practice on Wednesday. The coach is uncertain what Thursday holds, but Rodgers is pushing to play.
“Friday is probably a big day in terms of some of those things. I know he’s working his tail off to be a component of this, this week. He and I talked yesterday. He expressed that directly,” Tomlin said.
Tomlin added that a player with as much experience as Rodgers doesn’t need a lot of practice to be ready. However, if Rodgers cannot play, backup quarterback Mason Rudolph would be in line to start. Tomlin said Rudolph will get some work with the starters early this week.
Rudolph performed well in relief of Rodgers against the Bengals, finishing 12-of-16 for 127 yards and a touchdown while helping Pittsburgh finish a 34-12 victory.
“I can’t say enough about Mason Rudolph,” Tomlin said. “Although we’re used to it, it’s appreciated. He’s proven over his time here he’s capable of coming in and playing winning football for us.”
Rookie Will Howard is the third quarterback on the depth chart, and fourth-string quarterback Skylar Thompson remains on injured reserve.
Rodgers’ injury appeared to occur during the Steelers’ final offensive possession of the first half, during which he absorbed several big hits. On second-and-goal, Rodgers was leveled by Bengals defensive linemen Kris Jenkins Jr. and T.J. Slaton Jr. after he threw the ball out of bounds. As Rodgers fell to the ground, he put his left hand down first to break the fall. Immediately, he grabbed his left wrist and grimaced in pain.
Rodgers remained in the game for one more play: an incompletion on third down. He then jogged into the locker room early and did not return for the second half, despite lobbying Tomlin to go back into the game
After the game, Tomlin said only that Rodgers sustained a wrist injury and would continue to be evaluated.
The nature of the injury adds some uncertainty to the situation. Because it is Rodgers’ left, non-throwing wrist, perhaps it’s possible he can play through it. A main obstacle could be taking a snap, especially from under center.
If the Steelers turn to Rudolph, it would be the latest chapter for a quarterback who has occupied an interesting place in Steelers history. Drafted in the third round in 2018, Rudolph was once seen as the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. The opportunity to play came earlier than anticipated when Roethlisberger tore elbow ligaments in Week 2 of the 2019 season.
In eight starts that season, Rudolph went 5-3, completing 62.2 percent of his passes for 1,765 yards, with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. However, a concussion, uneven performance and the unlikely emergence of Duck Hodges led to Rudolph’s benching, as Hodges started the final five games. The Steelers appeared to give up on Rudolph. Over the subsequent seasons, he slid down the depth chart, going from a player who was once seen as the future to an afterthought. During the offseason preceding the 2023 season, as Rudolph spent most of the summer without a contract, he seriously considered leaving football and entering the real estate business. Eventually, the Steelers brought him back as the third-string quarterback behind Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky.
Just over six months later, with Pittsburgh’s season on the brink amid a three-game losing streak, Rudolph became the unlikely savior. The Steelers needed to win their final three games to qualify for the playoffs, and Rudolph delivered. In his three starts, Rudolph completed 74.6 percent of his passes for 716 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Steelers made the playoffs but lost in Buffalo 31-17, with Rudolph throwing for 229 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Though Rudolph’s magic faded in the playoffs, the way he rallied the Steelers in the most unlikely of circumstances gives players within the organization confidence in Rodgers’ backup.
“A lot of guys that were on that team (in 2023) are still here,” receiver Calvin Austin III said. “That’s why with Mason, it’s no blinking or anything.”
Rudolph parlayed his performance into a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans, with whom he went 1-4 with a passer rating of 80.1 in five starts.
This offseason, the Steelers signed Rudolph to a two-year, $7.5 million contract while they waited for Rodgers to decide whether he would play for Pittsburgh in 2025.
The fact that Rodgers took so long to commit last spring could help the Steelers now. Rudolph led the Steelers as QB1 through several weeks of OTAs and during mandatory minicamp.
“(Mason has) always delivered when called upon in the past,” Tomlin said. “That’s why we valued him. His performance was consistent with what he’s done in the past for us. Not that we take it for granted. We don’t. We appreciate it.”