The Steel City held its breath on Sunday, as Aaron Rodgers left the game with a wrist fracture. Backup QB Mason Rudolph stepped in and handled the offense. But now, the big question is, will Rodgers return next week, or will Rudolph try to steady the ship again? Either way, DK Metcalf is ready for both scenarios.

“I think the only difference is the communication throughout the week. I know they’re two different quarterbacks. They like certain routes run different ways. So just nailing that down, just how they want the routes run.”

“I think it’s just you’ve got to be ready for whoever’s back there at quarterback at all times. He came in, commanded the huddle nicely. Everybody was listening to him, and he stepped in and did a good job.”

His message was simple. He is prepared for both.

On Sunday, Rodgers completed 9 passes in 15 attempts for 116 yards with 1 touchdown before he went down. Rudolph answered with 12 completions on 16 attempts for 127 yards with 1 touchdown. Both moved the offense in their own way.

So DK Metcalf just hopes the unit can string together long drives like they did in the second half against the Bengals.

“We converted on third down, and we were able to stay in third and manageable. I know Darnell (Washington) converted a big third and seventeen on his own, being the type of football player he is. So, being able to sustain drives to where we could end up in the red zone and put up points on the board.”

Right now, DK Metcalf sits at 37 catches for 551 yards with 5 touchdowns in 10 games.

So the wait begins to see who leads the Steelers offense next week. However, they recently got an update on A-Rod’s situation.

Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph, who’s up?

The talk around the Steel City is all about A-Rod. During his appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, Pittsburgh’s host network voice Gerry Dulac gave a pretty direct read on the situation.

“I’m going to guess based on all that that he is not going to play. I’m certainly not ruling it out, but that’s my guess.”

His tone matched what many in Steeler Nation have been sensing after Mike Tomlin’s latest comments.

Earlier Tomlin made it clear that Rodgers’ status depends on a few checkpoints. He confirmed that Rodgers will avoid surgery, but the real question is whether he can protect himself with limited use of his left hand. That balance between safety and impact matters.

So, the Steelers trust Mason Rudolph to carry the load if needed. Dulac mentioned that beating the Bengals would have been tough if Rudolph hadn’t come alive in the second half. That stretch kept Pittsburgh in the fight and showed why the team believes he can handle another week if Rodgers sits.

Right now, the Steelers sit at 6-4 and fourth in the division. And now the focus shifts to next week as they line up against the Bears, who sit at 7-3. So the real question is how they adjust the plan with uncertainty at quarterback.