When Aaron Rodgers went down with a wrist injury during the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, fans were anxious to see the diagnosis. It wasn't that a win against an inferior AFC North rival was in jeopardy; it was the uncertainty about how much time he could potentially miss.
Rodgers is dealing with a slight fracture in his left wrist, and NFL insider Ian Rapoport believes the future Hall of Fame quarterback has a 50-50 chance of suiting up in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. This is a tough setback for an aging QB.
But that's not the worst part.
When Rodgers left the game, Steelers fans noticed how poised backup Mason Rudolph seemed from the pocket. He didn't panic under pressure or look to roll out and escape at the first sign of trouble. Rudolph stood tall, went through progressions, and delivered the football.
Going from watching Rodgers to Rudolph in the same game, back-to-back, reminded us of how skittish Rodgers looked from the pocket and how he no longer has respectable play-extension ability—a trait that once made him one of the most lethal quarterbacks in the history of the game.
This was especially noticeable when I put on the all-22 film and watched Rudolph directly after watching Rodgers. Unfortunately, this is more of an indictment of Rodgers' lack of pocket presence rather than a glowing endorsement for Rudolph.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may not see a drop-off in QB play if forced to turn to Mason Rudolph in Week 12
While Rodgers would love nothing more than to stick it to the Chicago Bears one last time in his legendary NFL career, it remains to be seen if he will get the opportunity on Sunday against his former long-time NFC North rival. But if Rodgers can't go, we might not notice much of a drop-off in QB performance—if any at all.
Over the past three weeks, Rodgers has struggled mightily under pressure, much of which is self-inflicted. Not only does Rodgers seem gun-shy, but often creates unnecessary pressure by rolling out instead of stepping up into the pocket.
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Rodgers' accuracy has also been an issue in recent weeks, as multiple passes have sailed over the head of his intended target. Entering Week 12, Rodgers ranks 33rd in intended air yards per pass attempt, 35th in completed air yards per pass attempt, and 20th in bad throw percentage, per advanced stats from Pro Football Reference.
Over the past three games, Rodgers has thrown for just 480 yards on 81 attempts (5.9 yards per attempt) while earning an 80.2 passer rating. What's worse is that, during this same span, the veteran quarterback is averaging a mere 1.4 completed air yards per attempt. This means that his average completion distance is less than a yard-and-a-half past the line of scrimmage since Week 9.
Rodgers is playing how you would expect a nearly 42-year-old quarterback to play—with caution, as if he doesn't want to get hit. If the Pittsburgh Steelers are forced to turn to Mason Rudolph in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears, there might not be a drop-off in play. In fact, we might even see an improvement.