Tim Benz: In the case of Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph, it's not a 50-50 decision

A week of speculation about who will play quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Chicago on Sunday has already grown tiresome.

And it’s only Wednesday morning.

The obvious bottom line on the topic is that if the call between Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph is 50-50… it’s not 50-50.

It’s not going to be 50-50 unless Rodgers’ injured wrist is, like, 40-60.

Eh, more like 30-70. At that point, coach Mike Tomlin might have to make a coin-flip decision.

Short of Rodgers’ wrist being that bad, Tomlin doesn’t have a decision to make. Rodgers is starting.

Regular readers of this column know I’m not saying that to besmirch Rudolph. I like Rudolph and am glad he’s back on the team. He’s a quality backup and plenty capable of winning a few games in a row as a starter.

As this city can certainly remember. I mean, 2023 wasn’t that long ago, was it?

But Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan and Art Rooney II didn’t put all of Pittsburgh through three months of a dog and pony show waiting to officially sign Rodgers to scratch him for Rudolph on a 50-50 call.

Not in mid-November. Not heading into Chicago. Not with a withering one-game lead on Baltimore. Not with games against the likes of the Bills, Lions and Ravens (twice) on the horizon.

Granted, Rodgers was somewhere between “meh” and “blah” at various points over the last six quarters of Steelers football. Rudolph was quite steady during the second half of Sunday’s win over Cincinnati at Acrisure Stadium.

Still, Rodgers is going to play unless he absolutely can’t.

And, hey… maybe he really can’t. Orthopedic wrist and hand repair isn’t my specialty. But if we find out by Saturday’s departure to the Windy City that Rodgers can’t take a snap, fend off a pass rusher, stiff-arm a tackler downfield or brace himself on a fall, then forget everything I just said.

Let ol’ Mason wax up that beautiful mustache and give him the ball against the Monsters of the Midway.

“Can’t say enough about Mason Rudolph,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “Although we’re used to it, it’s still appreciated. He’s proven over his time here that he’s capable of coming in and playing winning football for us, and that’s no small task.”

Agreed. But winning in Chicago against the Bears is no small task either. The Steelers have done that one time as a franchise since Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first term in office. Meanwhile, Rodgers has won there 11 times.

“Aaron always wants to play. Opponent has nothing to do with it,” Tomlin said.

Pfft! Sure, it doesn’t. Just like I’m sure playing against the Jets and Packers this year meant exactly the same thing as playing against the Browns, right?

I get it. Tomlin has to say that. Just like he has to say, “We’ll see where the week leads us, and we’ll take it day by day.”

The reality, though, is that if Rodgers’ wrist is even close to ready Sunday, he is going to play.

Imagine if Tomlin overrules Rodgers and sits him in Chicago if Rodgers thinks he can play. Do you think he’s going to take that quietly? Especially if the team loses and/or Rudolph doesn’t play well.

Worse yet, what if Rudolph plays and plays well and Tomlin creates a quarterback controversy for himself?

Although who are we kidding? That’ll never happen. There will be no QB controversy here. This isn’t one now, and it won’t be. Not with Tomlin’s deference to veterans with strong personalities.

I mean, did you hear Tomlin talking about putting Darius Slay back in the lineup over James Pierre? What more evidence do you need?

Not to mention Tomlin’s track record of bypassing Rudolph.

My god, Tomlin sat Rudolph for a guy named “Duck.” You think he is going to start Rudolph in Chicago if Rodgers is even close to 100%?

If, through bracing it up, taping it up, shooting it up, numbing it up, they can get Rodgers within spitting dist … oops, bad turn of phrase this week … shouting distance of 50-50, he’s playing.

Sorry, Bears fans.

BAD MAN. @AaronRodgers12

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