Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers and his
broken wrist could still play against the Bears
[November 19, 2025]
By WILL GRAVES
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers might get a chance to say goodbye to
one of his favorite places after all.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday there's a chance that
Rodgers and his fractured left wrist could still play on Sunday when
the Steelers visit Chicago.
Rodgers injured his non-throwing wrist late in the first half of
Pittsburgh's 32-14 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday. While Tomlin
said Rodgers wanted to come back in, the four-time MVP remained in
the locker room for evaluation while backup Mason Rudolph helped the
AFC North-leading Steelers pull away to improve to 6-4.
The 41-year-old Rodgers, the NFL's oldest active player, will not
need surgery on the wrist. He will not practice on Wednesday. What
happens after that will depend on how Rodgers adjusts to the brace
he will wear and how that impacts his ability to operate normally.
Tomlin doesn't expect pain tolerance to be an issue, though Rodgers
will have to show he's able to protect himself.
Rudolph, who filled in capably in the second half against the
Bengals, would start for Pittsburgh against the NFC North-leading
Bears (7-3) if Rodgers can't go.
Rodgers has a long history with Chicago, dating to his highly
successful run in Green Bay earlier in his career. He is 11-1 as a
starter at Soldier Field and once famously proclaimed he “owned” one
of the NFL's oldest franchises.
Tomlin brushed aside the idea that Rodgers' dominance over the Bears
will play a factor in whether he plays.
“Aaron always wants to play. Opponent has nothing to do with it,”
Tomlin said. “It’s his love affair with the game of football.”
Tomlin isn't sure exactly when Rodgers sustained the injury, though
cameras caught Rodgers clutching the wrist after a second-down heave
to the back of the end zone with Pittsburgh driving late in the
first half. Rodgers was hit at the end of the play, though he did
stay in to make one more pass, an incompletion to Roman Wilson.
Rudolph completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown
against the Bengals and will practice with the starters until
Rodgers returns, whenever that might be.
Tomlin has sometimes allowed veteran players to miss an entire week
of practice and then play on Sunday. Former quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger spent a week on the COVID-19 list in 2021 but was
cleared to play the night before a visit to the Los Angeles
Chargers.
The unknown of how the brace will affect Rodgers means he won't be
given that accommodation. Tomlin said the team will need to see how
the brace affects what he called Rodgers' “functionality" before
deciding whether he can play.
Asked what kind of input Rodgers will have, the NFL's
longest-tenured head coach chuckled.
“It’s his body, so certainly he’s gonna be a component of the
discussion,” Tomlin said.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) reacts after he
was sacked against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half of
an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP
Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Rudolph gives Pittsburgh a reliable fallback
option. The 30-year-old — now in his second stint with the Steelers
following a lengthy run as primarily a backup from 2018-23 —
memorably won three straight starts at the end of the 2023 season to
help the Steelers make the playoffs.
“He’s proven over his time here that he’s capable of coming in and
playing winning football for us,” Tomlin said. “And that’s no small
task.”
While offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and Rodgers work closely in
putting the game plan together, Smith also seeks input from Rudolph,
one of the reasons Pittsburgh's offense didn't miss a beat against
the Bengals and the NFL's worst defense.
The challenge will be more difficult in Chicago, where the Steelers
have won just once in 13 tries. The Bears lead the NFL in takeaways
and are second in third-down efficiency.
Rodgers isn't the only player whose status is uncertain for this
week. Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith continues to deal with a
pectoral injury that forced him to sit out against the Bengals.
Cornerback Darius Slay could be back after spending last week in the
concussion protocol.
Running back Jaylen Warren, who injured his ankle in the third
quarter against Cincinnati, will be limited this week but could be
available. Kenny Gainwell compiled 105 total yards and two receiving
touchdowns on Sunday while getting an expanded look, which seems
likely to continue.
While Warren was cleared to return late against the Bengals — and
even went back onto the field at one point, only for the Steelers to
call timeout — Tomlin opted to stick with Gainwell, whom Tomlin felt
had the “hot hand.”
The trip to Soldier Field begins a daunting three-week stretch for
Pittsburgh, which has a tenuous one-game lead over Baltimore.
Pittsburgh hosts Buffalo on Nov. 29, then opens December by visiting
the Ravens.
NOTES: Tomlin, who initially took issue with cornerback Jalen Ramsey
being ejected on Sunday for taking a swing at Bengals wide receiver
Ja'Marr Chase, offered a different perspective on Tuesday, a day
after the league suspended Chase one game for spitting on Ramsey.
Asked how he'd like to see Ramsey address something similar in the
future, Tomlin said: “I have no message if someone spits in your
face. Do what comes natural.”
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