To call the Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals a must-win affair would have been an understatement. The surging Baltimore Ravens had come within a game of closing the Steelers' divison lead, and Mike Tomlin's squad needed revenge on Joe Flacco and company to even the season series.
Steelers fans got their wish in a 34-12 blowout in Acrisure Stadium, keeping the team in front in the AFC North and comfortably above.500 at 6-4.
However, it wasn't a win that came without some drawbacks. Starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a fractured left wrist in the first half, ultimately leading to longtime backup signal caller Mason Rudolph taking over in the final 30 minutes and change. Things went swimmingly, as Rudolph dissected the Bengals' shoddy secondary to the tune of 127 passing yards and one touchdown while completing 75% of his passes. The Steelers' halftime lead of four ballooned to 22 by the time all was said and done.
If healthy, Rodgers is the unquestioned starter in Pittsburgh -- Rudolph is purely a backup at this juncture. Still, it was surprising to hear the future Hall of Famer talk about his QB2 in such a glowing light after Rudolph outperformed him in the Bengals game.
Aaron Rodgers, asked what it’s been like to work with Mason Rudolph:
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) November 19, 2025
“Mason? He’s a troll.”
(Laughs)
“He makes every day so much fun. … He’s hilarious.”
Mason Rudolph's Week 11 performance gives Steelers lifeline if Aaron Rodgers is hurt
Rodgers has famously had some... Less-than-stellar relationships with his backups before, so it should be pleasing for Steelers fans to hear that the sometimes-cantankerous veteran is getting along with his cohorts in the Steel City.
Dealing with a wrist fracture to his non-throwing hand, Rodgers has been pushing to play in Week 12 against the Bears. He certainly won't go on the IR, and head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear that the plan is to play Rodgers if he's healthy:
"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 during his Tuesday news conference. "I think his experience really kind of aids in that. 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, and that's helpful.
The 41-year-old has been surprisingly effective with the Steelers this year, completing 66.4% of his passes while rocking a 19-to-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Still, he's had a myriad of injury problems in latter stages of his career, and having a backup like Rudolph (who has started 18 games and thrown over 700 career passes) is a nice reassurance for a contending squad.
If the two quarterbacks get along well, all the better.