Steelers Make Final Call on Aaron Rodgers, Several Others vs. Bills
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spoke with reporters on November 28, and he confirmed that Aaron Rodgers will return from injury in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills.
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reporter Chris Adamski shared a video of Tomlin, who stated that Rodgers will have no injury designation for the game and will be “all systems go” this weekend.
Not long after, the team revealed that Rodgers isn’t the only Steelers player who’s returning against the Bills. Pittsburgh also cleared star wide receiver DK Metcalf, edge rusher Alex Highsmith, defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, cornerback Joey Porter Jr., guard Isaac Seumalo, and wide receiver Ben Skowronek for Week 13.
In fact, the only two players who were ruled out were the two who have been “out” all week. Left tackle Broderick Jones will not play due to a neck injury, and first-round defensive lineman Derrick Harmon won’t suit up either because of a knee injury.
Outside of those two, the Steelers will have everyone on the active roster available to them versus Buffalo.
Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Announces Left Tackle Plan With Broderick Jones Ruled Out in Week 13
As for Jones’ absence, Tomlin did share the plan to replace his left tackle.
According to ESPN beat reporter Brooke Pryor, “Andrus Peat will start at left tackle” for the Steelers against the Bills.
Peat signed with Pittsburgh in August as a late-season addition. He brings a wealth of experience with him, having started 104 regular season games, most of which came with the New Orleans Saints.
Peat is a three-time Pro Bowl left guard, but he’s a versatile blocker who can also play some offensive tackle. The Steelers will be counting on that experience and versatility this weekend, especially with a banged-up Rodgers behind him.
Aaron Rodgers Returns for a Pivotal Steelers-Bills Clash With the AFC Playoffs on the Line
Outside of Jones, the Steelers will have their entire offense, and they’ll need all hands on deck to beat a team like the Bills.
Rodgers will lead the way, but having Metcalf and a healthy Jaylen Warren is important, too. Pittsburgh has been missing some pieces in recent weeks, and although backups like Mason Rudolph and Kenneth Gainwell have made key contributions, they’re still at their best with their full complement of starters.
Fans witnessed that last week, as Rudolph struggled to put points on the board against a tough Chicago Bears defense.
Needless to say, Buffalo’s defense presents another big challenge. And this is a pivotal matchup when you look at the AFC playoff picture.
The Steelers are probably more focused on winning the AFC North rather than the wildcard race, but you never know what’s going to happen, so having a wildcard seed as an insurance policy is never a bad idea.
Unfortunately, with the way the AFC North race is playing out, the wildcard teams may have a stronger record than the Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals. In that scenario, only the division winner would get in.
That’s why a victory over the Bills is so important. It would tie up the Steelers’ record with Buffalo, while also awarding them the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bills, in the event that they need it.
Games like this one will define the remainder of the Steelers’ 2025 season.
Buccaneers Get Positive Injury Update on QB Baker Mayfield
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have spent the 2025 regular season to this point finding out how their team operates without the services of an assortment of start players, from NFL All-Pro left offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs to Pro Bowl wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to NFL All-Pro edge rusher Haason Reddick.
The one player they haven’t had to do without — and the reason they’ve kept their heads above water — is 2-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The Buccaneers have spent the last week wringing their hands about whether they might have to play the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13 without Mayfield, who didn’t play the second half of a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 12 with a shoulder sprain.
There’s a glimmer of hope — or a little more — that the Buccaneers won’t have to find out what life is like without Mayfield after an update on Friday, November 28, from Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles.
“Todd Bowles confirms Benjamin Morrison (and Rashad Wisdom, still on IR) are the only two players ruled out against the Cardinals,” Bucs Gameday’s River Wells wrote on X. “Baker Mayfield is ‘trending’ toward playing, he says.”
Tampa Bay has dropped to 6-5 overall after 3 consecutive losses — and without a good chunk of offensive weapons — after starting the season 5-1.
Miserable Backup QB Option for Buccaneers
One thing the Buccaneers haven’t had in recent memory is any type of viable backup quarterback option. Consider that Kyle Trask got beat out for the backup option by the walking corpse of veteran Teddy Bridgewater in training camp, and that was with Bridgewater not even being brought in until later in camp.
Bridgewater looked like a less than ideal person to play in an actual NFL game during the second half against the Rams.
“Bucs coach Todd Bowles tells reporters that Baker Mayfield is trending towards starting against the Cardinals,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on her official X account on November 28. “Teddy Bridgewater got the majority of practice reps this week but it’s more of a pain tolerance thing than anything for Mayfield’s shoulder. Mayfield also said this week that he wouldn’t play if he thought he would in any way hold the team back.”
Buccaneers About to Get Huge Lift in Backfield
If there was ever a week Mayfield might be able to thrive at less than 100 percent, it might be against the Cardinals. That’s because the Buccaneers are on track to get back 1,000-yard running back Bucky Irving, who has missed the last 7 games with a shoulder injury.
Irving, a 2024 fourth round pick, seemed like he was on track to take his place among the NFL’s elite running backs this season but has found himself an afterthought for most of the year.
“It’s tough man your first time being hurt … I mean when I step on the field I don’t take this game for granted I love what I do every day,” Irving said on Wednesday, November 26. “ … I’m trying to make plays and make thing happen for this organization and this team to help them in any type of fashion to win football games.”
