This isn't how the Pittsburgh Steelers wanted to start their afternoon. As Mike Tomlin was having his team go through warmups ahead of their home game against the Indianapolis Colts, quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered an unforeseen injury scare.
In a center-snap exchange from Zach Frazier, Rodgers reportedly appeared to injure one of his fingers, per Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The injury didn't prevent Rodgers from taking the field for the Steelers on the opening drive of the game, but it's something to monitor. Rodgers' first pass of the game was slightly off the mark on a play-action pass to tight end Jonnu Smith.
The Pittsburgh Steelers can't afford to have Aaron Rodgers playing injured against the Indianapolis Colts
On the first series of the game, the Pittsburgh Steelers went three-and-out. The Steelers won the coin toss and took the ball, hopeful to make something happen early. Unfortunately, we could be in for a long afternoon.
It's not uncommon to see quarterbacks get injured. But it's hardly ideal for a 41-year-old QB to suffer a hand injury just before the start of a crucial Week 9 game.
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On paper, the Colts are not only the best team in the AFC, they're the best team in the NFL. Indianapolis leads the NFL in point differential (+116) and DVOA. These are two great indicators that they can be serious contenders.
After going on a two-game losing streak against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers, the Steelers have a tall task against the Colts to avoid falling to 4-4 on the season.
Considering this team is already dealing with numerous injuries, they are going to need to bring their 'A' game to have a shot against the 7-1 Colts. Let's hope Rodgers' injury isn't significant.