The Week 13 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills turned violent when the Bills’ defense sacked the quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. At first glance, it looked like another regular sack. Suddenly, fans got concerned when they took a close look.

Rodgers was bleeding from his nose profusely and walked into the blue medical tent. The Steelers were on a first-and-ten play just seconds into the third quarter. Defensive end Joey Bosa was in a contest with the right guard Mason McCormick, who took him away at first. But Bosa was agile enough to break the hold and sack the signal caller from behind.

Fans anticipated that it was a vicious hit as the veteran landed on his chest. The ball got out of his grip and went away. Cornerback Christian Benford wasted no time in collecting the ball and running straight into the Steelers’ end zone, taking his team ahead with the touchdown. For head coach Mike Tomlin and other coaches, it was a shocker.

They were reminded of Aaron Rodgers’ left wrist injury, which forced him to miss the Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears. Did the sack re-aggravate his injury? Everyone waited and hoped for a good update. After a few minutes, it came.

Surprisingly, things became better as Rodgers came back into the game around 9 minutes into the third quarter, as the Steelers trailed the Bills 16-7. He had a bandage over his nose, revealing that the medical team had worked hard to make him well for the remaining matchup. Hopefully, things will not affect them in the long run as well.

Because if it does, the Black and the Gold don’t have the best backup quarterbacks on their roster. It became clear in today’s game once A-Rod went out.

Steelers struggle when Aaron Rodgers is out

Once the veteran went out, backup Mason Rudolph took his place in the game. However, an interception on his first drive was enough to tell fans that they would struggle. That’s what happened during the last game.

Aaron Rodgers sat quietly on the sidelines. He spoke only when needed and watched his team getting manhandled and battered by the Chicago Bears, who won 31-28. These things matter if you look at the AFC North on a larger scale with playoffs in mind. The Baltimore Ravens also have the same record with 6 wins.

This week, they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals. But if the Steelers also lose today, then the division stays open for anyone to claim the top spot. Tomlin’s backups don’t have much league experience.

The other quarterback is rookie Will Howard, drafted in the 6th round (185th overall) of the 2025 Draft. He also fractured his hand early in the season. But the team activated him from the injured reserve. Aaron Rodgers has been helping him with tricks to get ready for the ultra-competition. But if the Super Bowl winner goes down, the Black and Gold will find it much harder to win games.