Aaron Rodgers isn't practicing with his fractured left wrist. But the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is not ruling out playing in Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears.
A day after head coach Mike Tomlin said that Rodgers would not need surgery, Rodgers spoke about his injury for the first time with reporters since sustaining the injury in Sunday's win over the Bengals.
He said that he's working on getting fitted for a brace and hopes to return to the practice field on Thursday. And when it's time to make a decision about Sunday's game, it will come down to safety rather than pain management.
"I've got to get the OK, and I've got to feel like I can protect myself," Rodgers told reporters.
Rodgers appeared to sustain the injury to the wrist on his non-throwing hand in the first half of Sunday's 34-12 win. He remained in the game, but eventually left in the third quarter in favor of healthy backup Mason Rudolph. When exactly he suffered the injury is not clear.
Tomlin: Rodgers doesn't need much prep to play
His comments on Wednesday echo those of Tomlin, who said Tuesday that "it's just about bracing it and securing it for his comfort and safety" when asked about Rodgers' playing status.
Tomlin also suggested that 21-year NFL veteran and four-time MVP wouldn't require much preparation to be ready for Sunday's game if he ends up being physically cleared to play.
"I think his experience really kind of aids in that he's the type of guy and has the type of profile that doesn't require a lot of physical work in an effort to be ready to play, and that's helpful," Tomlin said.
Rudolph the other option as Steelers fight for playoffs
If Rodgers can't go, veteran Steelers backup Rudolph would be in line to start against Chicago. A sixth-year NFL veteran who's in his fifth season with the Steelers team that drafted him, Rudolph has played in 32 NFL games in his career, including 18 starts.
He made 13 of those starts for Tomlin's Steelers before a single season with the Titans in 2024. Rudolph returned to the Steelers in the offseason on a free-agent contract.
Rudolph completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards with 1 touchdown and no turnovers against the Bengals on a day in which Pittsburgh's defense scored two touchdowns to spark the Steelers to victory.
Despite ranking in the bottom five of NFL teams in both total offense and defense, the Steelers are 6-4 and in first place in the AFC North. They're one game ahead of a rejuvenated 5-5 Baltimore Ravens team that's won three straight games since the return of quarterback Lamar Jackson and four straight overall after a 1-5 start.
There's little room for error for the Steelers to maintain their division lead and remain in playoff contention. They'll be motivated to play Rodgers on Sunday if there's any way that he can go.
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