Despite defeating divisional rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, 34-12, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a tough spot with QB1 Aaron Rodgers suffering an injury. But in the absence of the four-time MVP, backup shot-caller Mason Rudolph stepped up and delivered a strong performance to ensure the victory. Since this performance, the morale in the Steelers’ dressing room has been positive, with players coming together to support one another.

This was most evident when Rudolph shared an Instagram post after the win over Cincinnati, which received positive and supportive comments from many of his teammates. The post had a caption that said, “Say when,” which received responses from the likes of Patrick Queen, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Mason McCormick, among others.

Talking about Mason Rudolph’s performance, the Steelers QB entered the game in the second half after Aaron Rodgers went down with a wrist injury just before the break. He then completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. More importantly, he converted 5 of 6 third-down opportunities.

Despite this performance from Mason Rudolph, the Steelers Nation will be eagerly waiting for Aaron Rodgers’ return, as despite his age, he still is one of the best shot callers around the league. And this wait may not be for a long time, based on recent insider reports.

When is Aaron Rodgers returning from injury?

Ahead of the Week 12 clash against the Caleb Williams-led Chicago Bears, the Pittsburgh Steelers have received a positive update on injured Aaron Rodgers. The former Green Bay Packers QB suffered a wrist injury in his non-throwing left arm late in the second quarter. According to ESPN‘s Adam Schefter, Rodgers was set to “undergo further testing on Monday” to determine the full extent of the injury.

Since then, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero revealed that Aaron Rodgers fractured his left wrist and also indicated that he won’t need surgery to repair the injury. The report further shared a timeline about Rodgers’ return.

“Rodgers is pushing to play Sunday at Chicago. But doctors must clear him, and his status moving forward is TBD,” Pelissero reported.

The Steelers will take on the Bears, who will enter Soldier Field after beating the Minnesota Vikings in a thrilling 19-17 victory. The Caleb Williams-led side has been one of the surprise teams of the season, sitting first in the NFC North ahead of the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions with a 7-3 record.

For Pittsburgh, this will be a challenging task, and Steelers Nation will need their offense to make significant strides against Chicago’s formidable defense, which is ranked number one across the league in interceptions, has a top-ranked rushing offense, and a strong turnover margin.