Let’s talk Steelers: Who should start at QB vs. the Bears?

The Steelers might have a quarterback controversy — well, if you trust the internet, at least.

After playing the first half against the Bengals on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers hurt his wrist and was replaced by Mason Rudolph for the entirety of the second.

Both passers put up similar numbers in the win: Rodgers completed nine of 15 passes for 116 yards and touchdown; Rudolph was 12/16 for 127 yards and a touchdown. Neither threw an interception.

However, looking beyond the box score, it was clear Rudolph outperformed Rodgers. Excluding the end-of-game kneeldown, he led three less drives than Rodgers but still put up slightly better numbers overall, and he looked clearly more comfortable in the pocket.

Who should start at quarterback against the Chicago Bears?

While recent weeks have shown the gap between Rodgers and Rudolph isn’t all that great, I still think the answer is clear: Rodgers is the starting quarterback, unless he’s hurt — at all.

Early-season Rodgers showed he could elevate the ceiling of the offense, but in recent weeks he’s looked uncomfortable in the pocket, bailing out of good protection and struggling to push the ball deep. As the season has gone on, it’s clearly taken a toll on the veteran passer.

So, if Rodgers’ wrist injury is indeed the slight break it’s reported to be, it should be Rudolph taking the field against Chicago.

It’s not rocket science. If your 41-year-old quarterback is “50-50” health-wise, playing poorly in recent weeks, and already contact-averse, having him start another week is unlikely to wield great results.

That said, if Rodgers is healthy, he should be the team’s quarterback this year. Mason Rudolph has had his moments in the black and gold, but his career up to this point has clearly proven he’s a solid backup. Rodgers, even at 41, still has some of the traits that made him a future Hall of Famer when he’s at the top of his game.

More concrete reports about Rodgers will be released as the week goes on. But if his wrist needs time to recover, I’d start Rudolph against the Bears.

Who do you think should start at quarterback on Sunday? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comment section below!