The Pittsburgh Steelers look set to get a major double injury boost ahead of their Week 13 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver DK Metcalf both full participants in Thursday’s practice.

Will Aaron Rodgers play in Week 13 against the Bills?

Rodgers suffered a minor fracture in his left wrist in the Week 11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, which kept him out of last weekend’s loss to the Bears. It had been suggested that the veteran quarterback could play in Chicago, but head coach Mike Tomlin ultimately decided not to risk him.

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin told reporters that he has “great optimism” Aaron Rodgers will be able to return from his wrist injury to start Sunday versus Buffalo.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 25, 2025

With Rodgers back to full practice, there is real hope he will be able to suit up against the Bills, replacing Mason Rudolph.

Metcalf also trending upward

If that happens, the 41-year-old may have Metcalf back as a target. The wide receiver suffered an ankle injury against the Bears, although he did finish the game. His absence from Wednesday’s practice set off a few alarms, but the 27-year-old carried out a normal workload on Thursday, with his ankle taped for support.

Although Metcalf hasn’t exactly set the world on fire this season, he still leads the Steelers in catches (42 on 70 targets), receiving yards (573, 13.6 per reception) and receiving touchdowns (5).

Will the Steelers make the playoffs? Postseason chances

The news arrives at a crucial moment of the regular season. Even though the Steelers lead the AFC North, their 6-5 record puts them in a precarious spot, with the Baltimore Ravens (6-6) breathing down their necks. With five games left, even the Bengals (4-8) may not be completely out of the race for first place.

Despite sitting atop the division, Pittsburgh currently has a worse record than the three teams occupying the wild card spots: the Los Angeles Chargers, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills, all 7-4. That means the Steelers have very little room for error the rest of the way.

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