The Pittsburgh Steelers badly needed a win in Week 12, and it would have been a perfect chance for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to beat his biggest rival, the Chicago Bears, one more time.
It wasn’t meant to be, though, as Pittsburgh ultimately decided to keep Rodgers, who suffered a fracture in his non-throwing wrist a week earlier, out of the game in the Windy City. The Steelers ultimately lost the game and are now tied at 6-5 atop the AFC North.
One day later, ESPN’s Adam Schefter shed light on how and when the Steelers ruled out the four-time MVP.
“My understanding is that Aaron did want to play. He was put in a position to play all week long, and the doctors obviously were more cautious and guarded,” Schefter explained in an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Nov. 24. “I think ultimately in the end, the doctors and Mike Tomlin make the call about whether or not he’s going to go, and they decided on Saturday to hold him out of the game.
“The players didn’t know until Sunday pregame exactly what was going to happen, but they made the decision on Saturday to start Mason Rudolph.”
Aaron Rodgers Injury: Steelers QB Reportedly Made Push to Play
It’s impossible to say what would have happened had Rodgers been under center in Week 12, but if he had been able to be anywhere near 100%, it might have made the difference.
Rudolph played OK, completing 24 of 31 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown, but he did throw an interception, and the offense went cold in the second half. Despite leading 21-17 at the half, the Steelers could only muster one touchdown after halftime, a late score that got Pittsburgh within a field goal.
Despite not being able to play, Rodgers tried to make an impact on the Pittsburgh sideline (by doing more than just flipping the bird).
“I think he knows this isn’t my first time doing it, so he wasn’t talking my ear off, but he provided some extra support and some extra setup, veteran, awesome eyes on the sideline,” Rudolph told reporters after the game, per NFL.com.
Case for Sitting Aaron Rodgers Makes Sense, If Pittsburgh Gets Right
Ultimately, divisional and conference games are what’re going to matter for the Steelers. As much as Rodgers would have loved one more chance to needle his longtime rival from his Green Bay days, the Steelers clearly felt they had a better chance of keeping him out of harm’s way for one week to have him healthier for a stretch run.
That starts in earnest in Week 13 when the Steelers face a massive AFC showdown with the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen and company are faltering, clinging to the final playoff spot at 7-4. Not only is every win huge for positioning in the division with hard-charging Baltimore, but the Steelers could very well be fighting for a wild-card spot with the Bills.
As such, it’s no surprise that Tomlin told reporters after the game in Chicago that he expected Rodgers to play when the Steelers return home to face Buffalo.
PlayoffStatus.com currently gives the Steelers a 56% chance to make the postseason, a number that is likely to undergo a major change regardless of what happens in Week 12.
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