There's a good argument to be made that Mason Rudolph, rather than Aaron Rodgers, gives the Steelers the best chance to win the next few weeks. Rudolph entered the game thanks to an injury to Rodgers' risk, which under normal circumstances would keep him out a few weeks.
Even at 41 years old, Rodgers is a competitor, and isn't about to let anyone take his job. The only way that could happen is if Rudolph performed well enough to force Mike Tomlin to ride the hot hand, but Rodgers doesn't plan on letting the 30-year-old career backup to do so. Rodgers eventually could need surgery on that broken wrist if it worsens. He doesn't care, and wants to play through pain against the Bears as early as Sunday.
Steelers may have to force Aaron Rodgers off the field
Per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Rodgers won't need surgery just yet. Doctors would have to clear him in order to play, and knowing what we do about this man as a competitor, it'd be surprising if he weren't on the field Sunday, especially against a team he claims to own in the Chicago Bears.
Against Chicago in his career, Rodgers has nearly 7,000 passing yards, 69 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. That's good for a passer rating of 109.0.
Still, this isn't the Rodgers of old. While the veteran showed flashes of his old self earlier in the season, the Steelers offense has sputtered against good opponents. These aren't the same Bears Rodgers faced when he was a Packer. Instead, the Bears have shown an ability to get after the quarterback, though the back end of their defense under Matt Eberflus could use some work.
It's Rodgers dominance in Chicago that is likely behind this internal push to get Rodgers ready in time for Sunday. It could backfire in a multitude of ways, including another injury to the 41-year-old's wrist, which could all but end his season. Assuming Tomlin believes in Rodgers as much as he claims, letting Rudolph take the reigns, even for just one week to give Rodgers a break, is the best choice.
Rodgers played through various injuries with the Jets last season and looked remarkably different than he has at his best in Pittsburgh. Age is catching up with Rodgers, and his lack of mobility, when combined with how a wrist injury could impact his release, isn't a winning formula.
Why Ben Roethlisberger – and now Aaron Rodgers – won't let Mason Rudolph start
As great as Roethlisberger and now Rodgers are, it's surprising they can't take a little heat from what amounts to a career backup. There's little evidence Rodgers is afraid of Rudolph surpassing him, but if the Steelers were to win without the grizzly veteran on the field, Tomlin could ride with the hot hand in Rudolph, just as he has in the past.
For those in need of a history lesson, Roethlisberger has spent much of the past three years defending how he reacted when Rudolph was drafted back in 2017. Roethlisberger claims he merely thought the Steelers could've used that draft capital – a third-round pick, mind you – a bit better to secure a playmaker so he could make a late-career push. In many ways, Roethlisberger's reaction to Rudolph's arrival limited how often Pittsburgh tested the waters to find their quarterback of the future.
"I was surprised when they took a quarterback because I thought that maybe in the third round, you know you can get some really good football players that can help this team now," Roethlisberger said at the time. "Nothing against Mason; I think he's a great football player. I don't know him personally, but I'm sure he's a great kid. I just don't know how backing up or being a third [string] -- well, who knows where he's going to fall on the depth chart -- helps us win now."
Rodgers is going about his end of the bargain more quietly than Ben ever did – Aaron doesn't have a radio show, which helps – but the end result is the same. At their age, Rodgers and Roethlisberger should've trusted the organization, and their reliable backup in Rudolph, to take over when necessary.
It came back to haunt the Steelers the first time, as Roethlisberger aged out of elite status and the team wasn't prepared with his heir-apparent. This time around the consequences aren't as intense, but the Steelers could still lose out on a playoff spot as a result of an ill-prepared Rodgers.