There is no shortage of problems that ultimately led to the Pittsburgh Steelers' 26-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The defense got bullied by the Bills' ground game, the offense made multiple back-breaking errors, and the coaching staff did nothing to stop the bleeding even after Buffalo broke the game open with a 20-point explosion in the first 16 minutes of the second half.
But a glaring issue that has to be addressed is the early return of injured quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Sporting a hefty brace on his fractured left wrist, Rodgers turned in a dreadful performance that made it painfully clear he shouldn't have been out there.
He finished the game 10 of 21 passing for just 117 yards and zero touchdowns. He even had to leave the game briefly after taking a big hit from edge rusher Joey Bosa. If this is the best he can offer while dealing with his injury, then he should take a seat and give the offense a chance to be successful.
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers reaches new low after rushing back from wrist injury
Rodgers already wasn't playing well leading up to his wrist injury in Week 11, but this week was harder to watch than ever. Had it not been for a James Cook fumble in Steelers territory, they easily could have been held scoreless for the first time since 2006.
Rodgers was supposed to be the upgrade at QB that they desperately needed to try and make a run with an aging roster, and at times, he has lived up to that. Standout performances against the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Jets gave fans hope that Rodgers had enough left in the tank to help Pittsburgh finally win a playoff game after nearly a decade without one.
Instead, the Steelers and Rodgers are hurdling towards a messy finish to the 2025 season, one that may even end with a sub-.500 record for the first time under head coach Mike Tomlin.
His wrist injury has only made his level of play worsen, and the right approach would have been to give him time to fully heal, and, honestly, to reset after several bad games in a row. Backup QB Mason Rudolph doesn't inspire a ton of confidence himself, but at least he is healthy and able to stand in the pocket confidently right now.
Clearly, that isn't going to happen, so we should expect Rodgers to be back out there next week as the Steelers try and retake the lead for the AFC North title against the Baltimore Ravens. If so, there is no reason to believe that the offense will be able to put up a real fight.