Aaron Rodgers Injury Tracker: Recovery Updates, Week-by-Week Status & Projected Return for Star QB

Steelers fans were highly concerned when they didn’t see Aaron Rodgers join the rest of the offensive unit during the second half of the team’s Week 11 win against the Bengals.

On Pittsburgh’s final drive before the end of the first half, Rodgers could be seen grabbing his left wrist after taking a big hit on a pass attempt to the back of the end zone. During his postgame press conference, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin didn’t provide many new details, only revealing that Rodgers’ wrist injury was being evaluated.

“[Rodgers] was excited about the win,” Tomlin said. “I just talked to him, but that’s all we talked about. We didn’t talk about his injury. We talked about the significance of the win.”

In his first season with the Steelers, Rodgers has thrown for 1,969 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions, leading Pittsburgh to the top of the AFC North standings.

What is Rodgers’ status heading into Week 12 and beyond?

Aaron Rodgers’ Injury Timeline and Latest Status Updates

Nov. 26: ESPN’s Dan Graziano suggested in a new report that Rodgers “has a better chance to play this week than last week.” He did not practice the day before Thanksgiving.

“The Steelers feel better about Aaron Rodgers’ chances of playing this Sunday against the Bills than they did at this time last week about his chances of playing in Chicago,” Graziano wrote. 

Nov. 25: Coach Mike Tomlin told reporters there’s “great optimism” that Rodgers will play Week 13 against the Bills.

“Aaron, obviously, worked his tail off to get to us last week,” Tomlin said via NBC Sports. “But as I mentioned over the course of the weekend, it was the prudent and appropriate decision [to sit him].

“We’ll start this week with great optimism, although we certainly will limit him in the early portions of the week, provide opportunities for the other quarterbacks while preserving him. But, again, we’re comfortable with the general trajectory.”

Nov. 23.: Rodgers flipped off a cameraman, but that was all the action from him as he didn’t play against the Bears.

Nov. 20: Rodgers returned to practice on Thursday, and was listed as a “limited participant.” Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Rodgers took individual reps from a gun and had his wrist in a stabilizer.

Nov. 18: Per Tom Pelissero, Rodgers won’t require surgery on his wrist. Coach Tomlin is unsure if he will play on Sunday until later in the week. Per Adam Schefter, Rodgers is not expected to practice on Wednesday, Nov. 18.

“Really it’s just about bracing it and securing it for his comfort and safety, and then it’s about how functional he is,” Tomlin said.

Nov. 17: Rodgers told multiple people close to him that he will be back “very soon,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who noted that Rodgers does not want to miss a game. Rodgers has a “50-50” chance to play against the Bears in Week 12, per Rapoport.

Nov. 16: X-rays showed that Rodgers suffered a “small fracture” in his left wrist, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. The initial belief was that it would not be a “long-term” injury, but Rodgers was scheduled to undergo additional scans.

When Will Aaron Rodgers Return? Recovery Outlook for the Steelers Quarterback

Rodgers’ timeline for a return is unclear. He could still play in Week 12 because the injury impacts his non-throwing wrist.

“I know it seems crazy because he broke a bone in his wrist, but it is a left wrist,” Rapoport said on the Nov. 17 edition of “Good Morning Football.” “If he’s able to grip, if he’s able to receive the ball on the snap, it is actually possible that Rodgers could play this week. … It sounds bad, but Aaron Rodgers does want to play and is trying to see how he could it for the Steelers.”

If Rodgers is unable to play, Mason Rudolph would move up the depth chart. Rudolph, who signed with the Steelers in the offseason after spending the 2024 campaign with the Titans, finished with 116 passing yards and one touchdown in the 34-12 win over the Bengals.

“[Rudolph has] always delivered when called upon in the past. That’s why we value him,” Tomlin said. “His performance was consistent with what he’s done in the past for us.”

Though he won’t require surgery, doctors must clear him to play against Chicago.