Steelers’ biggest fear surrounding Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh may have suddenly come true following win vs. Bengals
Not what Pittsburgh envisioned when the season started.
Aaron Rodgers comes with a lot. He can rub people the wrong way, some have questioned his offseason habits, and he’s unafraid to let his feelings be known. But none of that ever bothered the decision makers for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
They believed in the person as much as they believed in the player. And they still do. All you ever hear from the players and coaches in Pittsburgh is how much they enjoy Rodgers’ witty banter and premier quarterback intellect.
But if the Steelers had one concern, it would be something relatively out of Rodgers’ control: his ability to stay injury-free. Well, even if the news isn’t the worst thing in the world, it seems that Rodgers won’t be playing all 17 games this season.
Aaron Rodgers suffers a broken bone in left wrist
“The initial concern is that Aaron Rodgers has, in the words of one source, “a slight break” [in] his left wrist, but the Steelers quarterback will undergo further testing Monday to determine the full extent of the injury and how long he’ll be sidelined, per league sources,” wrote Adam Schefter of ESPN on Instagram on Sunday.
In all honesty, Rodgers and the Steelers caught a big break. The way Rodgers landed wasn’t pretty. He could have suffered a lower-body injury or even injured some part of his throwing arm. Instead, it’s an injury that should avoid any major time being missed.
And if we’re being honest, the drop off from Rodgers to Rudolph wasn’t very noticeable on Sunday. In fact, both played exactly one half, and Rudolph finished with a better completion percentage and quarterback rating. Now, that was against the Bengals’ defense, so you take it with a grain of salt, but we have been there and done that, and seen that song and dance with Rudolph.
He’s a fine backup and spot starter, but he’s no Aaron Rodgers. He doesn’t have the arm talent, the intangibles, the experience, or the gravitas that Rodgers does. But Pittsburgh knew there was a world where this fear came true.
It’s why the Steelers signed Rudolph and drafted Will Howard. And the injury came in a win over a division opponent, all but sticking a fork in the Bengals. But the Baltimore Ravens also won on Sunday. After starting 1-5, they are winners of a four straight and sit one game back in the AFC North.
Oh, and the team that Rodgers historically loved to play during his time with the Green Bay Packers? The Chicago Bears. . .They sit at first place in the NFC North with a home game against who up next? The Steelers.
We’ll see if Pittsburgh can meet the moment.
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