The Pittsburgh Steelers are not too sure who their quarterback will be for their upcoming Week 12 game. Aaron Rodgers is hoping to be able to not miss any time despite his broken wrist, while backup Mason Rudolph is ready to go if needed. No matter who will run the offense on Sunday, it will be very tough as they go against a strong Chicago Bears team, with the game being played in Illinois. At this point, Pittsburgh is trying to keep the Baltimore Ravens from taking the division, so this decision will not be taken lightly regarding the starting signal-caller.
Kareem Elgazzar / The Enquirer / USA Today Network
Mason Rudolph keeps his eyes downfield for a pass against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023.
During a media availability after Wednesday's practice, Rodgers spoke about the main issue with his hand injury leading up to the game.
Aaron Rodgers says it could be more difficult to take a snap under center than from the shotgun with his injury. “But I think we’ll be able to take snaps under center.
— Brian Batko (@BrianBatko) November 19, 2025
He concludes by saying he’ll leave any questions as to his availability up to Mike Tomlin.
For a run-heavy team like the Steelers, running plays from under center is a major component of the offense. It also helps set up the play-action game, allowing receivers to get wide open as the defense bites on the potential ground game. Both of those will be significantly less effective if Rodgers can only take snaps out of shotgun, but still plays anyways.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Rodgers says he believes he can run plays from under center, but he did miss the first day of practice. Head Coach Mike Tomlin previously said that Friday will be the big day to see if the quarterback can play or not. The 41-year-old also said that he hopes to make it back to practice for Thursday, but if he can only run shotgun plays, he would just be practicing for Week 13 and beyond, not now.
Rodgers said he’s going to try to practice in some capacity tomorrow
— Ray Fittipaldo (@rayfitt1) November 19, 2025
If Rodgers exclusively takes snaps out of shotgun, the Bears' defense will be able to take advantage of this problem easily. Chicago has a great cornerback room that's starting to get healthy again, as well as a high-end pass rush. They would be able to easily take the quick throws away while making the veteran very uncomfortable in the pocket.
Because of the wrist issue, Rodgers would definitely want to get the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible, so he would not take any more beatings in that area. All in all, the game plan will be way too easy if he is unable to run plays from under center, and a great unit like Chicago's will be able to snuff it out easily throughout the entire contest.
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Steelers' Aaron Rodgers holds his wrist during a Week 11 contest against the Bengals in the 2025 NFL season.
Rudolph is more than capable of running this offense, as he showed in the second half of the Steelers' Week 11 win. There is no reason to rush Rodgers if he truly is not ready to play. Every game almost feels like a playoff game at this point. Unless the 41-year-old is 100% ready to go with no limitations from that injury, many pundits believe he should not be on the field for this game.
Steelers Have Brutal Gauntlet To End Season
After this game against the Bears, the Steelers will have to play the Ravens twice, the Buffalo Bills, and the Detroit Lions. Even facing the Cleveland Browns on the road has been a problem as of late. If Pittsburgh truly believes Rodgers provides a significantly better chance for the team to win the division, they should make sure that he is healthy for the long stretch and not spend an entire game in shotgun formation with quick throws.
What do you think about Rodgers saying that taking snaps under center could be a problem? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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