The Pittsburgh Steelers made waves in the 2025 offseason when it was revealed that Aaron Rodgers would finally be joining the team. There were split opinions on how much impact he would or could have in Pittsburgh. So far in the 2025 season, Rodgers has thrown for 1,853 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He’s completed 66.8% of his passes, and the Steelers are currently 5-4.
On Thursday during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, former two-time Steelers Super Bowl champion Chris Hoke weighed in on Rodgers’ struggles. Hoke suggested that the team’s patience with Rodgers might be wearing thin and hinted that the leash for the veteran quarterback could be shorter than many expected. He didn’t shy away from the controversial idea that it might soon be time for Mason Rudolph to take the helm, especially if Rodgers continues to underperform or fails to meet the lofty expectations placed on him when he arrived in Pittsburgh.
“I think Mason [Rudolph] could go out there and run that offense very, very well. So possibly,” Hoke said on the 93.7 The Fan show on Thursday. “If Aaron Rodgers plays like he played on Sunday night, absolutely. But Aaron also has played really well this year, so what Aaron Rodgers are we gonna get this Sunday against the Bengals? I think the next two, three weeks is gonna tell. If he plays like he played on Sunday night, I think you gotta make the switch.”
Hoke’s comments have added fuel to the ongoing debate about Rodgers’ future with the Steelers. While some fans and analysts argue that Rodgers’ poor performances are outliers in an otherwise solid 2025 season, others point to his age and recent inconsistency as warning signs.
The Steelers now face a delicate balancing act: deciding whether to stick with a future Hall of Famer trying to rediscover his form or to start planning for the possibility of a transition to Rudolph.
The next few games could prove pivotal in determining which path Pittsburgh ultimately chooses. However, it doesn’t seem likely that Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin would entertain a change.
Tomlin clearly has a lot of love and respect for Rodgers, and the mutual respect between the two gives them confidence that they can figure things out. At times during the 2025 season, they have managed to get the offense clicking. Now it is on the Steelers to turn the tide and get consistent results.
Rodgers is unlikely to be benched under any circumstances, largely due to how Tomlin operates. Remember, he did not bench Russell Wilson during the losing streak in the 2024 season. Tomlin holds Rodgers in even higher regard.
While Hoke’s take is interesting, it is not expected to become reality. Rudolph has repeatedly proven himself as a backup during his career outside of Pittsburgh, and there is little indication he will take over in the Steel City. For better or worse, this is Rodgers’ team, and the franchise is committed to him leading the offense.
Based on Chris Hoke’s comments, do you think the Steelers should switch to Mason Rudolph if Aaron Rodgers struggles again? Why or why not?
Naturally, for a player who has been as injury-prone as Packers receiver Christian Watson in his career, especially as he comes off the most serious injury he’s had as an NFL player–an ACL tear in January–there is going to be concern raised when his name crops up on the injury report. And Watson, after Week 10’s team-wide dud against the Eagles on Monday, was indeed on the injury report on Thursday, ahead of the Packers’ next game against the Giants.
Watson was listed as “limited” this week, with injuries to his knee and hamstring, which has pretty much been the story of his career to this point. But, he explained after practice, he’s not actually injured.
“I wouldn’t classify it an injury because I didn’t get injured. It wasn’t during the game, just feeling sore,” he said.
Watson explained that Packers coaches are just seeking to be careful with him.
“I mean, they gotta do what they gotta do,” said Watson, who had two catches for 45 yards on Monday. “I definitely, if it were up to me, I am not injured, so I mean, they just gotta do what they gotta do. I am good. I have no worries in terms of where I am gonna be at for Sunday. Just precautions, I guess for them.
“I am just sore. I am still in kind of the ramp-up phase, coming back from the ACL. So, I am just sore. Got a decent amount of snaps in the game and everything. Enough to be smarter about the rep count in practice but I mean, I feel fine, confident about it.”
The Packers had only one player miss practice in full on Thursday, and that was cornerback Nate Hobbs.
The full list of limited participants was, in addition to Watson: Kingsley Enagbare (knee), Matthew Golden (shoulder), Micah Parsons (pec), Zach Tom (back), Lukas Van Ness (foot), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and Savion Williams (foot).
Stacy Revere/GettyLukas Van Ness #90 of the Green Bay Packers
Getting Van Ness back will add some firepower to the Packers defense, as he has been out since Week 5, against the Bengals. Van Ness had 1.5 sacks when he went out, and three tackles for a loss.
Coach Matt LaFleur addressed his return before practice.
“I just think he’s a really good player. So, you always want good players out there on the field,” LaFleur said. “His versatility is something I think could give players a boost.”