Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is out for Sunday’s Week 12 road matchup against the Chicago Bears due to his wrist injury.
Mason Rudolph will start under center for Pittsburgh, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed in a pregame interview.
“I’ll provide you with complete clarity, [Rodgers is] not going to play today,” Tomlin told CBS Sports reporter Evan Washburn ahead of the game.
“He fought his tail off all week, but that’s the prudent play for us to make as a collective, and so he won’t be playing this week. We’ll let Mason [Rudolph] start, and obviously he’s absorbed most of the reps this week.”
Rodgers, 41, exited the Steelers’ Week 11 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals after suffering a fracture in his non-throwing wrist in the second quarter.
The veteran field general was pushing to play in Sunday’s game after further tests confirmed he wouldn’t need surgery.
Rodgers was determined to play the Bears, against whom he boasts a career 24–5 record and has thrown 64 touchdowns — his most against any other NFL franchise.
He participated in two limited practices this week and was originally listed as questionable coming into Sunday’s game.
Rodgers has enjoyed a resurgent age-41 season after a pair of turbulent years with the New York Jets, tossing for 1,969 yards with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions through 10 games before the injury.
After his exit, Rudolph stepped in for Rodgers and completed 12-of-16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
The 30-year-old quarterback, originally drafted by the Steelers, returned this offseason and has appeared in three games.
Rudolph has started 18 games in his career, most recently in Week 17 of last season when he was with the Tennessee Titans — throwing for 193 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Rookie signal caller Will Howard will serve as Rudolph’s backup.
Action between the Steelers (6–4) and Bears (7–3) kicks off at 1 p.m. ET.
