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Brooke Pryor
CHICAGO — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he expects Aaron Rodgers to be ready for next week’s game after Pittsburgh lost 31-28 on Sunday to the Chicago Bears.
Rodgers, who fractured his left wrist against the Cincinnati Bengals a week ago, was not active against the Bears and did not serve as the emergency third quarterback. Mason Rudolph started in his place.
«I anticipate him being ready for next week [against the Buffalo Bills],» Tomlin said. «It was a prudent decision to make. Certainly, it wasn’t a fluid week for him. It was a fluid week for Mason in terms of reps and so forth, and so I think it’ll be in our rear view as we move forward. I’m hopeful of that.»
On Tuesday, though, Tomlin suggested that Rodgers didn’t need to practice in order to play Sunday.
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«He’s the type of guy — and has the type of profile — that doesn’t require a lot of physical work in an effort to be ready to play,» Tomlin said at his weekly news conference. «And that’s helpful.»
After sitting out Wednesday’s practice, Rodgers wore a wrist stabilizer and was a limited participant in practice Thursday and Friday.
Tomlin said he decided Saturday that Rodgers would not play, and he told Rudolph the same day that he would start. Some teammates said they found out Sunday that Rodgers wouldn’t play, including center Zach Frazier.
«Found out today,» he said, adding that it didn’t change anything for him or the offense. «I feel like you know both the quarterbacks prepared well, and we were ready for either one to go today. And obviously, Mason was ready. He prepared all week and was confident in the game plan. We were confident in him.»
When asked if Rodgers wanted to play Sunday, Tomlin said that’s the standard for the 41-year-old quarterback. «Aaron always wants to play,» Tomlin said.
A surly Rodgers arrived at the stadium about three hours before the game and walked a lap around the field before heading to the locker room. Soon after, Tomlin told CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn that Rodgers would not play.
Rodgers, who was not in uniform, spent the game on the sideline and engaged with his teammates.
«He was active in the game, kind of telling us what he saw,» Frazier said.
Rudolph added: «I think he knows this isn’t my first time doing this, so he wasn’t talking my ear off, but he provided some support and some extra set of veteran eyes from the sidelines.»
In his first start since Week 17 last season, Rudolph completed 24 of 31 attempts for 171 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to tight end Pat Freiermuth. But Rudolph also threw an interception on his first pass attempt when he targeted DK Metcalf deep. Rudolph also fumbled as he was sacked by Montez Sweat.
«Just trying to give DK a 50/50 shot there to start the game,» Rudolph said. «I will do that every time I get the opportunity because he’s such a great player and comes down with a lot of those.»
The offense also turned the ball over on downs in the first half with an unsuccessful tush push. The Bears’ offense turned the takeaways and the turnover on downs into 21 points. The Steelers got the ball back with 1:29 left and trailing by three points, but they failed to get into field goal range and turned it over on downs with 17 seconds remaining on Rudolph’s incomplete pass on fourth-and-6.
«[We] started out with a couple nice completions, and credit to them, they made some nice plays,» Rudolph said of the final drive. «They played some tight man coverage and heated us up there at the end and was able to bat the pass away. So they played a good game, and you got to give credit to the defense.»
When asked whether Rudolph’s performance Sunday would factor into Rodgers’ availability against the Bills, Tomlin declined to answer.
«I’ll talk to you guys about next week, next week,» he said. «I’m here to analyze what just transpired.»
