Aaron Rodgers’s Steelers beat the Bengals on Sunday, 34-12, to stay atop the AFC North. The victory came at a cost, however.
In the first half, Rodgers dropped back to pass and got crushed by multiple Cincinnati defenders. He was grimacing and grasping his left wrist afterwards. He was replaced by Mason Rudolph, who went on to secure the win for Pittsburgh; it was reported after the game the Steelers feared Rodgers had broken his wrist.
On Monday morning NFL insider Ian Rapoport offered further information on Rodgers’s injury for NFL Network. He revealed x-rays confirmed the longtime QB had suffered a “tiny fracture” in his wrist. However, the injury was not serious enough to immediately rule Rodgers out for his team’s Week 12 clash with the Bears. In fact, Rodgers himself was pushing to play, and he has a 50/50 shot of successfully doing so.
Aaron Rodgers injury update
“Aaron Rodgers is going to have tests this morning just to determine how long he is going to miss, if he is going to miss time,” Rapoport said. “Aaron Rodgers does have a tiny fracture in his left wrist. That is what the X-ray at the stadium revealed yesterday.
“Aaron Rodgers, to my understanding, has told people close to him that he will be back very soon. He has told more people close to him that he does not want to miss a game. He is pushing to play in this [Bears] game. I know it seems crazy because he broke a bone in his wrist but it is a left wrist. If he’s able to grip, if he is able to receive the ball on the snap, it is actually possible that Rodgers could play this week. I had someone tell me he is essentially 50/50 to play this week. So it sounds bad but Aaron Rodgers does want to play and is trying to see how he could do it for the Steelers.”
From @GMFB: #Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers, dealing with a fracture in his left wrist, has not been ruled out for Sunday and is pushing to play; Plus, the NFL will review the Jalen Ramsey-Ja'Marr Chase punching/alleged spitting incident. pic.twitter.com/aMvfhNz9BF
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 17, 2025
In theory a broken bone in his non-throwing hand doesn’t stop Rodgers from playing. It’s a pain tolerance issue rather than something that fundamentally affects his play on a down-to-down basis. In theory. In practice Rodgers risks re-injury by getting hit a dozen times a game with a broken wrist and standard actions like taking the snap becomes a turnover risk due to the injury. It’s something the Steelers will weigh this week and figure out just how possible it is for Rodgers to suit up.
Rudolph played well enough for Pittsburgh in relief of Rodgers, completing nine of 15 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown, but the book is out on him at this stage in his career. Rudolph is a passable backup quarterback whose team is in trouble if he has to go out and win the game. Rodgers hasn’t been stellar this season, averaging fewer than 200 yards per game passing and ranking 18th in completion percentage, but he’s definitely better than Rudolph. What’s more, the Steelers have very little wiggle room atop the division. The Ravens are only one game behind in the AFC North. Every win is critical.
It seems like Rodgers will be pushing hard to play in light of that reality. This week will show if he proves successful or if the Steelers would prefer to play it safe.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Insider Gives Update on Aaron Rodgers Injury, Availability for Game vs. Bears.
