PITTSBURGH -- Though he was sidelined Wednesday with a fracture in his left wrist sustained against the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he's going to try to return to practice Thursday.
"It feels better than it did Sunday, that's for sure," Rodgers said Wednesday afternoon. "... Was thankful to get today to work with [head athletic trainer Gabe Amponsah] and just focus on rehab for today. Trying to get back on the field tomorrow and see what I can do."
The timeline, though, to determine his status for the Steelers' Week 12 game in Chicago isn't as clear. To play against the Bears, Rodgers said, he has to be able to "protect" himself.
"It's a safety thing," Rodgers said, shooting down the notion that his ability to play would come down to pain management.
Asked whether clarity on his availability could come all the way down to a pregame decision, Rodgers deferred to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who said in his news conference a day earlier that Friday would be a significant day in the process.
"I'm going to leave that up to Mr. Coach Tomlin," Rodgers said.
Rodgers also demurred when asked whether he had extra incentive to play Sunday, given his history with the Bears.
"There's incentive for every opponent, but I have enjoyed many a Sunday and Monday and Thursdays in that city," said Rodgers, who owns a 24-5 record against the Bears in the regular season. "It's a great sports town, phenomenal sports fans and great place to play."
Asked whether he embraced being the villain in the rivalry with the Bears, Rodgers smirked and added, "I'd rather not be; I mean, I'm not in Green Bay anymore. I feel like we can let bygones be bygones. Maybe I can, I guess.
"it's a great rivalry. ... When I first got to Green Bay, the Bears had the all-time series lead. When I left, [the] Packers did. Since [Jordan] J-Love has taken over, it's even gotten better, but I hope those fans can put that behind 'em. I'm sure they can't, don't expect 'em to, but I really enjoy the city."
Rodgers said Steelers medical personnel are "working through" finding a brace for the injured wrist on his non-throwing hand. The quarterback said that it's currently more comfortable to take snaps from the shotgun but that the goal is to be able to take snaps under center.
"I would say it'd be more difficult to take a snap under center than to catch one in the gun," he said. "And there's been times in my career where we have adjusted and gone to some pistol sets if we need to still keep the spacing on the run distribution between the halfback and the quarterback, but the goal would be to take snaps from under center."
Rodgers confirmed that his injury isn't the aggravation of a preexisting issue, saying it happened on 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. Though he played one more snap before halftime, he didn't return to the field after the break.
"I was in a lot of pain," he said. "We were late in the play clock, called timeout, came over. I felt like I could go one more play, and then went in. Got it checked out."
Rodgers said he didn't have a conversation with backup Mason Rudolph in the locker room at halftime, instead signaling to Rudolph that he was up by pointing at him with his index finger.
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 rookie sixth-round pick Will Howard.
"He's a great backup," Rodgers said of Rudolph. "He's super helpful during the week. He's a professional. He is ready to play. He's a gamer, and watching the locker room last week, I was super fired up watching him go up and down the field and those couple drives he had. I'm thankful for the way he played, the way he prepares. He's a lot more type A, I would say, than I am with the preparation. He's wound a little tight, but it makes it for a good backup of quarterback because he's so in tune to the details, and I just love being around him."
Rudolph is plenty familiar with jumping into action at the last minute -- and with preparing for a moment that might never come. Since being drafted in the third round by the Steelers in 2018, Rudolph has started 13 games for the Steelers and appeared in 24 total. In 2019, he replaced Ben Roethlisberger following the veteran's season-ending elbow injury. Two years later, he started the Week 10 game against the Detroit Lions with less than 24 hours' notice after Roethlisberger tested positive for COVID-19 the night before. Then, with Roethlisberger in the isolation protocol and unable to practice, Rudolph took first-team reps the entire next week. Roethlisberger, though, tested out of the protocol and was activated the day before playing the Los Angeles Chargers and resumed his starting role.
"I got plenty of experience going back and forth in different roles," Rudolph said. "And so, I just -- it's part of what's probably chilled out my personality a little bit. I just say, 'Screw it,' and I just roll with the punches."