PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers spent the first half on Sunday trying to will the Pittsburgh Steelers into the kind of offensive rhythm that's been elusive of late.
The four-time MVP spent the second half in the locker room, his 41-year-old left wrist aching and his status uncertain for the final stretch of his 21st and perhaps final season.
Rodgers watched from afar as backup Mason Rudolph and the Steelers pulled away for a 34-12 win over the Cincinnati
Bengals. He did not return to the sideline at any point after injuring the wrist on his non-throwing hand during a stop-and-start first half in which he was sacked once and hit illegally twice, both of which drew flags for roughing the passer.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said Rodgers will be evaluated on Monday.
It's uncertain exactly when Rodgers was hurt. He completed 9 of 15 passes for 116 yards, including an 11-yard flip to running back Kenneth Gainwell on Pittsburgh's first possession. The Steelers didn't do much more until their final drive of the half, a disjointed 86-yard march abetted by the two roughing-the-passer calls.
Rodgers was hit low by Cincinnati's Myles Murphy, who drew the first penalty. Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai appeared to make contact with Rodgers' helmet a few snaps later, though Rodgers also absorbed a handful of hits as Pittsburgh struggled to protect him from a Bengals pass rush that was missing injured star Trey Hendrickson.
Cameras caught Rodgers holding the wrist after he threw incomplete to Gainwell on second-and-goal from the Cincinnati 7. Rodgers stayed in for one more play, missing on a short pass to Roman Wilson.
Yet when the Steelers walked back onto the Acrisure Stadium turf for the second half, Rodgers was nowhere to be found.
Enter Rudolph, who wasn't aware that Rodgers was ailing until Rodgers pointed at him during halftime and said, “You’re going in.”
It's not the first time Rudolph has found himself in this position. A third-round pick by the Steelers in 2018, Rudolph etched himself into franchise lore two years ago when he snapped one of the NFL's worst offenses out of a season-long funk and engineered a late three-game winning streak that helped Pittsburgh slip into the playoffs.
Rudolph found himself the odd man out a few months later, when the Steelers signed Russell Wilson and acquired Justin Fields. He spent a rocky 2024 with the rebuilding Tennessee Titans before returning to Pittsburgh this spring as an offseason caretaker of sorts before Rodgers finally agreed to a one-year deal on the eve of training camp.
Rodgers and Rudolph have spent plenty of time together since Rodgers arrived, which wasn't always the case for Rudolph and whoever the starter happened to be during his previous stint with the team.
While it's unclear for now if Rodgers will be available when Pittsburgh (6-4) heads to Chicago next weekend, the Steelers have no issues if Rudolph's promising cameo against the Bengals — he finished 12 of 16 for 127 yards with a touchdown — turns into a more extended look.
“It's not anything different,” defensive end Cam Heyward said. “Some might be surprised. We feel like we have a bunch of quarterbacks all ready for those moments. Would we like Aaron out there? Yes, but we feel very confident when Mason steps onto that field.”
After some initial jitters, Rudolph settled in. He guided Pittsburgh on a 15-play, 61-yard drive that ended with a field goal by Chris Boswell. The next time the Steelers had possession, he helped put the game away by taking Pittsburgh 65 yards, the last 5 on a lob to Gainwell that put the Steelers up by 15 with 3:40 remaining.
“He's always delivered when called upon in the past,” Tomlin said. “That's why we value him. His performance was consistent with what he's done in the past for us. Not that we take it for granted. We appreciate it.”
The question is how long the Steelers might have to appreciate Rudolph this time around.
Save for collarbone injuries while with Green Bay in 2013 and 2017 and a torn Achilles tendon suffered a handful of plays into his first season with the New York Jets in 2023, Rodgers has been durable. He has started at least 15 games 14 times since becoming a starter in 2008.
Rodgers has hinted that this season could be his last. He's been solid if not spectacular for Pittsburgh, and was in the midst of a bounce-back performance against the Bengals after four shaky quarters last week in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Where he and the Steelers go from here is anyone's guess.
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