Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers left Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals at halftime with a fracture in his wrist. Fortunately, for him and the remainder of the Steelers’ 2025 season, it’s his left wrist.
NFL Insider Ian Rapoport said Rodgers is pushing to play next week, but as of early Monday morning, the 41-year-old is facing a 50-50 chance of suiting up.
“Aaron Rodgers, to my understanding, has told people close to him that he will be back very soon,” Rapoport reported on NFL Network Monday morning. “He has told more people close to him that he doesn’t want to miss a game. He is pushing to play in this game. I know it seems crazy because he broke a bone in his wrist, but it is a left wrist. If he is able to grip, if he is able to receive the ball on the snap, it is actually possible that Rodgers could play this weekend.”
Of course, Rodgers will be the first to tell anyone to dismiss a reporter who reports what someone “close” to Rodgers has said. But this might be one of those clear situations where the reporter is saying what everyone is thinking.
Aaron Rodgers’ history with Chicago Bears makes this matchup hard to miss out on
Next week is Chicago Bears week, a week that Steelers fans have had circled since the 2025 schedule was released. Rodgers is known for many things, and owning the Bears is near the top of the list. Sticking it to the Bears one last time isn’t something fans should expect Rodgers to miss if he can help it.
Obviously, this is most likely Rodgers’ final season, and with just 17 games and the presumptive postseason, that doesn’t leave very many opportunities for him, and missing games for a broken left wrist wasn’t exactly on his to-do list this season. Still, this is likely Rodgers’ last shot at the Bears in his career, the team he has owned like no other player in NFL history, even his predecessor, Brett Favre.
Rodgers holds a 24-5 record over Chicago in his career, throwing for nearly 7,000 yards and 64 touchdowns in those contests. He hasn’t lost to Chicago since 2018, but he also hasn’t had to face the Bears since leaving Green Bay after the 2022 season.
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With the Bears riding high as the leader in the NFC North with a surprising 7-3 record, it’s a perfect opportunity for Rodgers to knock them back down to Earth. And it could be all the more sweeter to wrap up his 30th game against Chicago by beating them on their turf with a broken wrist no less.
Naturally, though, Pittsburgh will have to weigh the risks of sending Rodgers out there. Whatever kind of protection Rodgers would wear on that wrist, he’d still need to be able to operate the offense and take hits. Rodgers and the decision makers will do what’s right for the team, but that certainly means entertaining the idea of allowing him to trot onto Soldier Field one last time.