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Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren Cleared after full practice Friday
Fri, Nov 21, 2025, 3:47 PM
Warren (ankle) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Bears, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Analysis: Warren steadily raised his practice participation throughout the week, as he upgraded to full participation Friday after being limited Thursday and being a non-participant Wednesday. He's expected to lead Pittsburgh's backfield as usual against the Bears, though Kenneth Gainwell is pushing for a larger role after scoring two receiving touchdowns in Pittsburgh's Week 11 win over the Bengals, which Warren exited early due to his ankle injury. |
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Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Questionable after limited practice
Fri, Nov 21, 2025, 12:50 PM
Coach Mike Tomlin noted Friday that Rodgers (left wrist) was limited at practice Friday and will be listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bears, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: Earlier this week, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com relayed that Rodgers' Week 12 status is, in the words of the QB, "a safety thing" rather than a pain-management issue. In the wake of back-to-back practices, Rodgers could end up being a game-day call, but fortunately for those considering him in fantasy lineups this week, the Steelers kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. If he's unavailable versus Chicago, however, Mason Rudolph would be in line to draw the start in his place. |
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Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Returns to limited practice
Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 2:44 PM
Rodgers (left wrist) was limited in his return to practice Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: After logging a DNP on Wednesday, Rodgers returned to a limited session a day later, while sporting "some sort of stabilizer" on his left non-throwing wrist, per Pryor. As for his chances of playing Sunday against the Bears, Rodgers told Pryor on Wednesday that he'd need to be able to "protect" himself in order to do so. In any case, unless Rodgers practices fully Friday, he'll presumably head into the weekend with an injury designation. If he's unavailable versus Chicago, Mason Rudolph would be in line to start in his place. |
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Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren Officially limited Thursday
Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 2:38 PM
Warren (ankle) was listed as a limited participant at Thursday's practice, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Both Warren and Aaron Rodgers (left wrist) upgraded to limited participation Thursday after sitting out Wednesday, so the Steelers may still wind up having both their top running back and starting quarterback available for Sunday's game at Chicago. Warren's return Thursday is a step in the right direction, but he could still carry an injury designation into Sunday's game unless he upgrades to full participation Friday. Backups Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson are both healthy. |
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Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren Returns to practice Thursday
Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 2:09 PM
Warren (ankle) is participating in Thursday's practice, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Analysis: Per Batko, Warren is moving around well. Whether Warren is ultimately listed as a full participant or limited participant, his return to practice Thursday is an encouraging sign after he didn't practice Wednesday. Warren played only one snap after injuring his ankle in the second half of this past Sunday's win over the Bengals. |
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Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers At practice Thursday
Thu, Nov 20, 2025, 2:09 PM
Rodgers (wrist) was present for practice Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Per Pryor, Rodgers' left wrist was in "some sort of stabilizer" as he was spotted doing individual reps Thursday. On the heels of a DNP on Wednesday, the veteran QB's presence at practice a day later is encouraging, though it seems likely he'll be officially listed by the Steelers as a limited participant. |
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Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren Unable to practice Wednesday
Wed, Nov 19, 2025, 3:23 PM
Warren (ankle) did not participate in Wednesday's practice, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Analysis: Warren continues to manage the ankle injury that knocked him out of Pittsburgh's win over the Bengals in Week 11. Though Warren downplayed the severity of his injury following that contest, his status for Sunday's road matchup against the Bears now appears uncertain. The combination of Kenneth Gainwell and rookie Kaleb Johnson will lead the Steelers' backfield versus Chicago if Warren is unavailable. |
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Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Hopes to practice Thursday
Wed, Nov 19, 2025, 1:58 PM
Rodgers (wrist) didn't practice Wednesday but hopes to return Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Rodgers told reporters that he's currently more comfortable taking snaps in shotgun but hopes to be ready for snaps under center later this week. He said his Sunday availability will be a matter of safety and functionality, not pain management, deferring to coach Mike Tomlin on any potential timeline for naming the Week 12 starter. Mason Rudolph will lead the first-team offense during Wednesday's practice. |
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Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren Not seen at start of practice
Wed, Nov 19, 2025, 1:48 PM
Warren (ankle) isn't going through individual drills at the start of Wednesday's practice, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.
Analysis: Warren downplayed his ankle injury after Sunday's 34-12 win over Cincinnati, but it's no surprise to see him absent from practice just three days later. He didn't play at all during the fourth quarter this past Sunday, and Kenneth Gainwell got more work than usual even before Warren's early exit. Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson will pick up the slack if Warren isn't ready to face the Bears this Sunday. |
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Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren May be limited to begin Week 12
Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 11:25 AM
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said that he's "optimistic" that Warren (ankle) will be available for Sunday's game in Chicago, though the running back is expected to be a limited participant in practice to begin Week 12 prep, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Warren carried 10 times for 62 yards and added two receptions for five yards before checking out of this past Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals in the third quarter after tweaking his ankle. The 27-year-old said after the contest that he could have returned to the game, but the Steelers opted to play it safe in the final quarter and let Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson pick up extra reps out of the backfield. Tomlin's comments Tuesday seemingly support the notion that Warren's early exit was precautionary, but Warren will likely still need to upgrade to full practice participation by Friday in order to avoid a designation for the Week 12 contest. |
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Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Avoiding surgery, iffy for Week 12
Tue, Nov 18, 2025, 10:50 AM
Rodgers underwent tests Monday that confirmed he won't need surgery to address a minor fracture of his left wrist, but he still needs clearance from doctors in order to play Sunday in Chicago, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.
Analysis: Though the fracture is to Rodgers' non-throwing wrist, the injury could still present complications with ball security. For his part, Rodgers is pushing to play Week 12, but he'll likely need to wear a protective brace on the wrist and prove that he's not compromised by the injury in order to get the green light to suit up Sunday. After Rodgers was forced out of this past Sunday's win over the Bengals late in the second quarter, Mason Rudolph stepped in under center and completed 12 of 16 pass attempts for 127 yards and a touchdown. According to Missi Matthews of the Steelers' official site, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that Rodgers won't practice Wednesday, and the veteran quarterback is expected to remain sidelined for Thursday's session as well while Rudolph receives the first-team reps to keep himself prepared to start in Chicago in the event Rodgers isn't available. Tomlin noted that Rodgers will attempt to practice Friday before the Steelers decide on his status for Sunday. |
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Pat Freiermuth Pat Freiermuth Makes 19-yard reception in Week 11
Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 11:26 AM
Freiermuth secured his lone target for 19 yards during Sunday's 34-12 win over Cincinnati.
Analysis: Although Freiermuth ended his four-game streak of multi-reception games Sunday, he was somewhat efficient on his lone target against the Bengals. Although Freiermuth has remained inconsistent in recent weeks, his fantasy production has certainly been better than it was over his first five appearances of the year. Across his last five outings, Freiermuth has secured 15 of 18 targets for 203 yards and three touchdowns, and he's been a more reliable option than teammate Jonnu Smith during that time. |
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Jonnu Smith Jonnu Smith No catches in Week 11
Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 11:21 AM
Smith failed to secure either of his two targets during Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals.
Analysis: Smith has struggled to carve out much of a role to begin his time with the Steelers, and he's been especially uninvolved in the passing game over the past two weeks, as he's secured just one of four targets for four yards during that time. Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington have been slightly more reliable recently, leaving Smith as a shaky fantasy option heading into the final month and a half of the regular season. |
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Roman Wilson Roman Wilson Racks up 17 yards in win
Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 11:16 AM
Wilson secured one of two targets for 17 yards during Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals.
Analysis: Wilson was on the field for 57 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps Sunday, marking just the second time this season that he's played more than half of the team's snaps. His uptick in playing time didn't lead to an increased target share, as he's seen two or fewer targets in eight of 10 of his appearances to begin the season. Wilson's fantasy upside will likely remain limited moving forward, especially if Aaron Rodgers (wrist) is forced to miss time. |
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Calvin Austin Calvin Austin Minimal workload against Cincinnati
Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 11:11 AM
Austin secured his lone target for five yards during Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals.
Analysis: Austin had played at least 50 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps in his first seven appearances of the season, but he was on the field for just 29 percent during Sunday's comfortable victory. The 2022 fourth-rounder was held to single-digit receiving yards for the first time this year, but Pittsburgh was playing without Aaron Rodgers during the second half. Even if Austin's playing time bounces back down the stretch, he'll likely have limited fantasy upside as long as DK Metcalf remains healthy. |
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Kaleb Johnson Kaleb Johnson Plays eight snaps in Week 11
Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 11:04 AM
Johnson rushed five times for 15 yards during Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals.
Analysis: Despite Sunday's lopsided score, the Steelers sustained several prominent injuries, including a wrist injury for Aaron Rodgers and an ankle injury that Jaylen Warren sustained in the third quarter. The latter's ailment led to a slightly increased role for Johnson, although Kenneth Gainwell saw the biggest uptick in usage. However, Warren said after the matchup that he could have returned to the game, so it seems likely that he'll be available for Pittsburgh's Week 12 tilt in Chicago. Assuming Warren and Gainwell remain available against the Bears, Johnson should continue to have minimal fantasy upside. |
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Jaylen Warren Jaylen Warren Could have re-entered Week 11 win
Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 9:01 AM
Warren (ankle) said after Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals that he could have retaken the field after suffering an injury in the third quarter, but that remaining on the sideline "was part of being smart," Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.
Analysis: Coach Mike Tomlin refrained from offering a tangible update on Warren's health following Sunday's divisional win, but it appears the starting running back has avoided a serious injury. The success logged by Kenneth Gainwell (105 scrimmage yards and two receiving scores on 16 touches) may have informed Pittsburgh's decision to take a cautious approach with Warren, who himself gained 62 rushing yards on 10 carries and secured both of his targets for five yards. If Warren ends up missing any time or even being limited on the road against Chicago in Week 12, Gainwell will likely be the biggest beneficiary again, as rookie third-round pick Kaleb Johnson played only eight snaps in Week 11 even with Warren on the sidelines. |
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Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Considered 50-50 for Week 12
Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 8:14 AM
Rodgers (wrist) will undergo further medical evaluation Monday and has been described by NFL sources as "50-50" to face the Bears in Week 12, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Rodgers suffered an injury to his left, non-throwing wrist and was forced out early during Pittsburgh's win over the Bengals in Week 11, which Adam Schefter of ESPN reports may be a minor fracture. Whether or not the veteran quarterback is at risk of exacerbating the injury, and whether he can properly grip a football, will be the major deciding factors in his availability. Mason Rudolph replaced Rodgers to start the third quarter Sunday, completing 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown while rushing once for minus-1 yard. If Rodgers isn't able to suit up on the road against Chicago, Rudolph will presumably draw the start while rookie sixth-round pick Will Howard, who recently came off IR, handles the No. 2 role. |
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Aaron Rodgers Aaron Rodgers Likely to miss Week 12
Sun, Nov 16, 2025, 7:40 PM
Rodgers may be dealing with "a slight break" in his left wrist, and backup Mason Rudolph is likely to start in Week 12 against the Bears, though the full extent of Rodgers' injury won't be determined until he undergoes further testing Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Rodgers got hurt late in the first half of Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals and didn't return for the second half. The injury is to Rodgers' left, non-throwing wrist. Monday's evaluation should help establish a recovery timetable for Rodgers while providing clarification regarding the nature of his wrist injury. Per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Rodgers is optimistic that he won't face an extended absence. |
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Kenneth Gainwell Kenneth Gainwell Two receiving TDs as Warren injured
Sun, Nov 16, 2025, 5:03 PM
Gainwell rushed nine times for 24 yards while catching seven of eight targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals.
Analysis: Gainwell capped the opening drive with an 11-yard receiving touchdown. Jaylen Warren played only one snap after hurting his ankle in the third quarter, opening the door for Gainwell to play a larger role. Gainwell didn't find much running room but continued to make significant contributions as a pass catcher out of the backfield, including by notching a five-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter on a pass from Mason Rudolph, who replaced Aaron Rodgers (left wrist) at halftime. If Warren is unavailable or limited in Week 12, Gainwell could take on a hefty workload against the Bears. |
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