Rodgers Has Break in Wrist, Status vs. Chicago Bears TBD

Aaron Rodgers would surely love to maintain his ownership stake of the Chicago Bears this weekend, but his status remains up in the air.

Rodgers, who has a break in his wrist according to Coach Mike Tomlin, still has not been ruled out (or in) for Sunday's game in Chicago.

Per ESPN.com:

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PITTSBURGH -- Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not need surgery to repair a fracture to his left, non-throwing wrist, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.

Tomlin did not rule the quarterback out for Sunday's game at the Chicago Bears, and the veteran's status will be determined later in the week.

"Really, it's just about bracing and securing it for his comfort and safety," Tomlin said. "And then, it's about how functional he is."

The coach said that Rodgers, 41, will not practice Wednesday, and that Friday will be a key day in evaluating the quarterback's status for Sunday's game at the Bears.

"We'll see where the week leads us, and we'll take it day by day," Tomlin said, adding that Rodgers will have some say in his game status. "It's his body, so certainly he's going to be a component of the discussion."

Several factors will ultimately determine Rodgers' availability, Tomlin said. Not only does the wrist have to be stabilized, but the coaching and medical staffs will need to monitor the quarterback's pain level, effectiveness and ability to protect and brace himself.

"Functionality is a component of it," Tomlin said. "I don't need it for my comfort, but I certainly need it for functionality, and functionality is a major component of whether or not he gets an opportunity this week. "... It's about stabilizing it; it's about making sure that he can manage the pain -- that doesn't appear to be an issue."

Facing the Bears, a team that Rodgers owns a 24-5 record against, doesn't have any bearing on the veteran's determination to play.

"Aaron always wants to play," Tomlin said. "Opponent has nothing to do with it. It's his love affair with the game of football."

With Rodgers sidelined, backups Mason Rudolph and rookie Will Howard will get on-field work ahead of the Bears game. Rudolph is in line to start if Rodgers can't go, but there's a possibility of Howard, who was activated from injured reserve last week after fracturing a pinkie finger in training camp, working with the starting offense in practice.

"We'll see," Tomlin said when asked about Howard getting first-team reps. "We'll see where the week goes."

Rudolph took over after Rodgers' second-quarter injury Sunday and completed 12 of 16 attempts for 127 yards in the Steelers' 34-12 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

"When you're preparing during the course of a week as a backup, you have a limited number of reps," Tomlin said, praising Rudolph's performance. "Usually the guts of the plan are geared toward the specific talents of the starters, and so you may get some reps, but it might not be plays that are perfectly in your wheelhouse. He's always found a way to manage those challenges, to remain confident, for that confidence to ooze out of him and be a catalyst for a collective performance, and we got that."

Tomlin said Rodgers wanted to go back into the game Sunday. He didn't come back onto the field after halftime, though, because doctors were working to determine the severity of his injury and stabilize the wrist. Rodgers greeted his teammates in the hallway to the locker room after the win with his left hand in the pocket of his black sweatshirt.

While Rodgers' status for Sunday is unclear, the Steelers starting cornerback Darius Slay (concussion) is set to return, and Tomlin said he was "optimistic" about the availability of running back Jaylen Warren. Warren exited with an ankle injury against the Bengals and could have returned, but the team opted to stick with the hot hand in running back Kenneth Gainwell. Tomlin also said that edge rusher Alex Highsmith, who missed the last game with a pec injury, would be limited in practice this week.

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Rodgers owned a 25-5 record against the Bears during his Packers tenure, and has yet to face off with them outside of his time with Green Bay. We'll all just have to wait and see about the veteran's status ahead of Sunday's game at Soldier Field.

Kickoff is set for Noon CT. Rodgers and the Steelers are currently listed as 3-point road underdogs against the Bears. The Steelers (6-4) are currently the leaders in the AFC North, but with the Ravens (5-5) rallying from a slow start, every game remains very important the rest of the way for Rodgers and Pittsburgh.

Source: ESPN.com