Steelers Making QB Decision Earlier Than Last Week

The Pittsburgh Steelers floundered on both sides of the ball last week, falling to the Chicago Bears in a game that was certainly a winnable one for the Steelers.

The Steelers had to play without their starting quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, who pushed to play ahead of the game, and was ruled out just before the game started.

Now, Dan Graziano of ESPN's NFL coverage team is reporting that the Steelers will make a decision on Rodgers sooner in the week, allowing for more clarity on the Steelers chances of victory against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon. In his weekly column, Graziano took time to address the Steelers and how their availability at quarterback would effect their chance to be successful.

"The Steelers feel better about Aaron Rodgers' chances of playing this Sunday against the Bills than they did at this time last week about his chances of playing in Chicago," Graziano wrote. "Talking to people with the Steelers on Saturday and Sunday, I was told the decision about Rodgers playing against the Bears would come down to his own comfort level and whether he felt he could function on the field with that fracture in his left wrist. They believe Rudolph can operate their offense if Rodgers needs another week to heal, but my expectation is that he does more in practice this week and that the decision doesn't come down to game day like it did in Week 12."

How Rodgers Impacts The Team's Future

While Rodgers has shown some signs of regression down the stretch, it seems clear that he also gives the Steelers the best chance at winning this year. With the goal of a playoff victory in mind, the Steelers will need him to remain healthy for the remainder of the season.