After managing a perfect attendance throughout the first half of what figures to be his final season in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers will officially miss his first game as a Pittsburgh Steeler in Week 12 after sustaining a left wrist injury against the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday. That leaves the team’s perennial backup, Mason Rudolph, with the responsibility of keeping the Steelers in the lead for the AFC North title.
Advertisement
The Chicago Bears don’t necessarily strike fear into the hearts of their opponents whenever they appear on a schedule. However, they are 7-1 in their last eight games and haven’t lost at home since their opening week. Simply put, this is far from being a gimme for Pittsburgh, but head coach Mike Tomlin believes that Rudolph has the inherent qualities to take care of the business on the road.
“Mason is a valued member of our group,” Tomlin noted while fulfilling his weekly press obligations. In terms of delivering when it matters most, the 53-year-old veteran suggested that Rudolph has “done it for us time and time again over the years,” and that has resulted in him having a sense of confidence.
“I don’t think anybody has been surprised by his ability to deliver under those circumstances,” Tomlin outlined. He plays with a great level of confidence. He’s organic, he’s so real. He relishes those opportunities. We’re happy for him and excited for him,” he added, emphasizing his faith while listing down Mason’s qualities as a QB.
Rudolph has now received the stamp of approval from both Tomlin and Rodgers ahead of his first start of the 2025 season, perhaps the two biggest endorsements that any signal caller could receive ahead of a debut.
Of course, the real concern comes in the long run with the health of Rodgers. But according to Tomlin, his wrist may not be as injured as we once believed it to be. After mentioning that Rodgers had initially pleaded to finish the game in Week 11, Tomlin explained that safety and longevity are their utmost priorities with the future Hall of Famer.
“As far as Aaron goes, he wanted to go back into the game. But there are a lot of things going on. They are trying to get the severity of it, the injury. Trying to make sure that we have appropriate pitches, trying to make sure they can stabilize and keep him safe. We only had two drives in the second half,” he added, hinting that they will give ample recovery time for the 41-year-old QB.
As a result, Rodgers is officially on the back burner for the week, and the attention will shift solely onto Rudolph, who has managed to impress since his return to Pittsburgh.
“I’ve certainly seen an evolution in him. Comfortable in his shoes, comfortable in the role of a backup quarterback and some of the challenges that come with it… He’s perfected that process and he’s displayed that readiness with his play,” Tomlin added, while praising Mason.
Unfortunately, the oddsmakers aren’t as confident in Tomlin’s QB2. The Steelers will walk onto Soldier Field as +2.5 point underdogs in this one, as the bookies are more trusting of the improvements that Caleb Williams has made in his sophomore year rather than what Rudolph has done since his time with the Tennessee Titans.
By coming off the bench and giving his team a two-game lead over the Baltimore Ravens, Rudolph can help to ensure that he remains in Pittsburgh for even longer than before, but of course, that’ll be easier said than done against a Chicago team that is 4-1 in one-score games right now.
