Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers says he has to 'feel like I can protect myself' before playing

Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Nov 19, 2025

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers would like nothing more than to play against his old rival, the Chicago Bears, on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. But the next few days will determine whether he gets that opportunity.

Rodgers left Sunday’s game against the Bengals just before halftime with a fractured bone in his left wrist. He did not practice Wednesday, but he said he will practice Thursday and hopes to get a feel for playing through the injury.

“It feels better than it did on Sunday, that’s for sure,” Rodgers said following Wednesday’s practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side.

When asked how he’ll determine if he’s ready for the game, Rodgers said: “I have to get the OK, and I have to feel like I can protect myself.”

Rodgers and the Bears have a long history. He played for Green Bay for his first 18 seasons in the NFL and competed against Chicago twice a season in the NFC North. In 2010, on his way to beating the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, Rodgers had to play the Bears three times, including in the NFC championship game at Soldier Field.

To say Rodgers enjoys playing against the Bears would be an understatement of vast proportions. He’s 24-5 all-time against them.

“It’s a great rivalry, in the history of all sports,” Rodgers said. “You talk about the Lakers and Celtics and the Red Sox and Yankees, you have to talk about the Packers and the Bears.

“There have been some great memories. When I first got to Green Bay, the Bears had the all-time series lead. When I left, the Packers did. Since [Jordan] Love has taken over, it’s gotten even better. I hope the fans can put that behind them.”

If Rodgers cannot play, Mason Rudolph will make his first start for the Steelers since he quarterbacked the team in an AFC wild-card game in Buffalo following the 2023 season. He’s 8-4-1 as a starter for the Steelers and played well in relief against the Bengals after Rodgers exited the game.

Rudolph led the Steelers to 10 points on the two drives he played in the second half, going 12 for 16 for 127 yards and a touchdown. Coach Mike Tomlin said Rudolph was oozing confidence upon entering the game.

“I felt like I was oozing jitters,” Rudolph said Wednesday.

Rudolph got all the reps with the starters in Wednesday’s practice. He’s likely to see fewer and fewer as the week goes on if Rodgers is trending toward playing.

For Rudolph, the routine is old hat by now. He’s been a backup quarterback in the league since 2018 and knows how to prepare for any situation.

“I have plenty of experiences going back and forth between different roles,” he said. “It’s probably chilled out my personality a little bit. I just say screw it and roll with the punches.

“I have a lot of different experiences to draw from. Whether you find out the day before or you’re thrown in there in the first quarter or you get all the reps, you definitely draw from those experiences.”

The offense had sputtered under Rodgers in recent weeks. The Steelers had a season-low 221 yards in the 25-10 loss to the Chargers. The Steelers scored on their opening drive against the Bengals but only finished the half with 10 points.

“It’s about consistency,” Rodgers said. “We had some opportunities. It comes down to the details. Too many times, 10 guys have been doing it right and one guy hasn’t. Sometimes it’s the difference between a big play, a first down on a third-down conversion or moving on the drive and scoring points.”

Even though Rodgers is expected to practice Thursday, there likely won’t be clarity on who will play until Friday at the earliest. That’s when the final status report of the week is released by the team. There also is the possibility the decision could go all the way up to game time.

As for who will make the final call, Rodgers said it’s up to Tomlin.

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