The Pittsburgh Steelers went out in Week 12 to Soldier Field to face off against the Caleb Williams led Chicago Bears. The Steelers started the game with bad news as 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers was ruled out for the contest. Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph stepped in and completed 24 of 31 passes for 171 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and one fumble. Overall, it wasn’t an awful showing from the backup, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win as Pittsburgh fell 31 to 28 in a game they had multiple chances to take control of.
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Steelers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph get ready to walk out onto the field before a game in the 2025 NFL season.
Defensively, the Steelers gave up 328 yards of offense to the Bears, but it was the efficiency of those yards that did the real damage. Chicago capitalized on key moments, extended drives when Pittsburgh had them backed up, and converted in the red zone with ease.
Missed assignments, late reactions, and a lack of timely stops made the performance feel worse than the yardage total suggests. For a unit that prides itself on being the backbone of the team, especially with a backup quarterback in the game, this outing felt like a major step backward.
After the loss, linebacker Payton Wilson spoke with Steelers insider Mark Kaboly and didn’t hide his frustration. Wilson acknowledged that the defense simply didn’t play to its standard and admitted how tough it is to watch the same issues appear week after week.
He emphasized that the team has too much talent to be giving away games like this and that the defense needs to look in the mirror and fix the mistakes immediately. His honesty reflects the growing urgency inside the locker room as the Steelers try to keep their season from slipping away.
"It’s frustrating," linebacker Payton Wilson said. "We have been saying it for 12 weeks now, we have the talent. We see that one week and not the next week, right? The talent that we have and the caliber of players we have, we should be the best defense in the world, and sometimes we are and sometimes we aren’t."
The Steelers defense in the 2025 season has, at times, played up to expectations. On some occasions, they have even surpassed them, forcing multiple turnovers and showing moments of dominance.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The bigger issue, however, is when fans consider the talent on the defense and the price paid for it. It is simply too much for the unit to be giving up 31 points to Chicago.
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Sure, they are under a new regime with Head Coach Ben Johnson, and they are 8-3. However, the Steelers squandered this game and had multiple chances to win despite facing adversity. This was a game Pittsburgh needed to take, and the team’s inability to consistently perform made the difference. Now the Steelers have lost their grip on the AFC North officially.
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Bears quarterback Caleb Williams speaking with his Head Coach Ben Johnson.
Even more disappointing is that this was a matchup that Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin really needed to win against a first year head coach, and ultimately, he came up short. The combination of missed opportunities and inconsistent defensive play made a winnable game slip away, leaving the team with questions they will need to address moving forward. Now the Steelers will try to get back on track in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills.
If you look at the whole game from beginning to end, what kind of overall grade would you give the Steelers’ defense for the way they played against the Bears in Week 12 at Soldier Field? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me.
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