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PITTSBURGH–However, he was ruled out Wednesday with a fractured left wrist. cincinnati bengals, pittsburgh steelers quarterback aaron rodgers He said he will try to return to practice on Thursday.
“It feels better than Sunday, that’s for sure,” Rodgers said Wednesday afternoon. “… grateful to have the opportunity to work today [head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah] And today just focus on rehabilitation. Will try to get back on the field tomorrow and see what I can do.”
However, the timeline to determine his status for the Steelers’ Week 12 game in Chicago is unclear. to play against BearHe has to be able to “protect” himself, Rodgers said.
“It’s a safety thing,” Rodgers said, dismissing the notion that his ability to play will depend on pain management.
Asked if clarity on his availability could come down to a pregame decision, Rodgers deferred to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who said in his press conference a day earlier that Friday would be an important day in the process.
“I’m going to leave it to Mr. Coach Tomlin,” Rodgers said.
When Rodgers was asked if he had extra incentive to play Sunday given his history with the Bears, he demurred.
“There’s an incentive for every opponent, but I’ve enjoyed a lot of Sundays and Mondays and Thursdays in that city,” said Rodgers, who had a 24-5 record against the Bears in the regular season. “It’s a great sports city, amazing sports fans and a great place to play.”
Asked if he would accept being the villain in the rivalry with the Bears, Rodgers smiled and said, “I wouldn’t want to; I mean, I’m not in Green Bay anymore. I think we can let bygones be bygones. I think, maybe I can.”
“It’s a great rivalry. … When I first got to Green Bay, the Bears had the all-time series lead. When I left, [the] The Packers did. since [Jordan] With J-Love taking over, it’s even better, but I hope those fans can get behind it. I’m sure they can’t do it, I don’t expect them to, but I really enjoy the city.”
Rodgers said the Steelers’ medical personnel are “working” on finding a brace for the injured wrist of his non-throwing hand. The quarterback said he is currently more comfortable taking snaps from the shotgun but the goal is to be able to take snaps under center.
He said, “I would say it would be more difficult to take a picture down the center than to catch someone with a gun.” “And there have been times in my career where we have adjusted and gone to some pistol sets if we still have to maintain the differential on run distribution between the halfback and quarterback, but the goal is to take the snap under center.”
Rodgers confirmed that his injury was not an exacerbation of a pre-existing problem, saying that it occurred during a second-down play late in the second quarter against the Bengals when he fell backward under pressure. Rodgers threw the ball out of the back of the end zone and then landed awkwardly on his wrist. Although he played one more snap before halftime, he did not return to the field after the break.
“I was in a lot of pain,” he said. “We were late in the game, timeout was called, time came. I felt like I could play one more time, and then went in. It got checked out.”
Rodgers said he had no conversations with backups mason rudolph In the locker room at halftime, instead he signaled Rudolph with his index finger that he was up.
In Rodgers’ place, Rudolph completed 12 of 16 attempts for 126 yards and a touchdown in two offensive possessions. On Wednesday, Rudolph took first-team practice reps and was backed up by the sixth-round rookie pick Will Howard,
“He’s a great backup,” Rodgers said of Rudolph. “He’s very helpful during the week. He’s a professional. He’s ready to play. He’s a gamer, and seeing the locker room last week, I was so excited to see him go up and down the field and make the couple drives he made. I’m grateful for the way he plays, the way he prepares. I would say he’s more Type A than I prepare. He’s a little tight, but that makes him a good backup to the quarterback because he’s very familiar with the details, And I love being around him.”
Rudolph is well-versed in jumping into action at the last minute and preparing for a moment that may never come. Since being drafted by the Steelers in the third round in 2018, Rudolph has started 13 games for the Steelers and made 24 total appearances. In 2019, he replaced Ben Roethlisberger after the veteran suffered a season-ending elbow injury. Two years later, he started the Week 10 game against detroit lions With less than 24 hours’ notice of Roethlisberger testing positive for COVID-19 last night. Then, with Roethlisberger being in isolation protocols and unable to practice, Rudolph served as the first-team representative throughout the next week. However, Roethlisberger tested out of protocol and was activated the day before play. los angeles chargers and resumed his initial role.
“I got a lot of experience going back and forth between different roles,” Rudolph said. “And so, I just – that’s part of the thing that probably cooled my personality down a little bit. I just say, ‘Screw it,’ and I just punch.”
