When a legendary quarterback’s ankle gets crushed beneath a teammate’s cleats and blood starts dripping down his shin, every sound in practice goes silent. The final day of Steelers training camp on August 12 at Saint Vincent College turned into the kind of nightmare scenario. Due to a mishap, Aaron Rodgers’ left foot and ankle were crushed. Despite the obvious pain and visible blood where he got his skin scraped, the 41-year-old four-time MVP stayed in for another rep. Even as the trainers rushed over with ice to wrap his lower leg like a mummy.
Now, Ben Roethlisberger knows a thing or two about playing through injuries during his own Hall of Fame career. Ben finally spoke up about the mounting quarterback concerns plaguing his former team. He addressed both Aaron Rodgers’ ankle scare and backup Will Howard’s hand injury that kept the rookie out of Pittsburgh’s preseason opener. Roethlisberger was extremely concerned. Especially because of Rodgers’ injury history and the fact that Pittsburgh’s season rests on the shoulders of the 41-year-old QB. But now there might be more for Mike Tomlin to figure out before their next game on August 16.
The final practice on Tuesday, August 12, at Saint Vincent College was an unsettling end to what should have been a routine preparation for the season. During the second team period, defensive lineman Derrick Harmon collapsed the pocket and stepped on quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ foot. This caused Rodgers to limp before finishing his reps. The play happened as trainers were evaluating him on the sideline, taping up his right calf. Pat Freiermuth and others gathered around him in concern. Nonetheless, Aaron Rodgers completed every rep scheduled without missing a team period, according to Alex Kozora via Steelers Depot. But his performance seemed to decline after the injury scare. The four-time MVP’s accuracy seemed to go down the rest of practice. It’s unclear if that was because of the pain or just a coincidence during what was his last practice as a Steeler.
Alex even added that, “For the following team period, he still tried to loosen up his right leg as he jogged over to the near field. He finished practice and didn’t miss a rep, though his accuracy seemed to decrease the rest of the way. If that’s related to the injury or happenstance, I’m not sure.” Aaron Rodgers did finish practice, but the play highlighted the precariousness of the quarterback situation. Why? Because of Rodgers’ recent history of major injuries. This includes the torn Achilles that ended his 2023 season after just four plays.
Newly signed Quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers Aaron Rodgers 8 dons a Steelers helmet and works out at the Steelers Mini Camp on June 10, 2025 in Pittsburgh. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY PIT2025061003 ARCHIExCARPENTER
Mike Tomlin’s so-called “headache” this year is a season-long migraine. Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have been searching for stability at quarterback. In 2025, they went all in on 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers, betting his veteran presence would end years of quarterback roulette. With backup Will Howard nursing a hand injury, Tomlin’s depth chart looks like a high-wire act with no safety net. The franchise has failed to develop a young quarterback, and now they’re hostage to Rodgers’ health and his habit of playing through pain. Now every practice snap is more tense: one wrong move could ruin the season, and Tomlin will have to answer the toughest questions of his 18-year career.
This couldn’t have happened at a worse time for a team that has put all its eggs in Rodgers’ basket. Mike Tomlin brushed it off in his final camp press conference. But he knows the truth: the season is on Rodgers. What’s got Tomlin concerned is the bigger picture of accuracy issues that have been popping up all over camp. Add in the physical vulnerability we saw on Tuesday (August 12), and now there’s another storm brewing and headache for Aaron Rodgers.
Aaron Rodgers’ new uniform struggles reach a boiling point
The frustration coming from Aaron Rodgers during training camp goes far beyond on-field performance. It’s about the helmet saga that has him feeling like he’s wearing a “damn spaceship” on his head. A veteran in what he says will be his last NFL season is resisting league-mandated changes that affect his comfort… And, potentially, his performance. “I don’t like it, no,” Rodgers said on Tuesday (Aug. 12), via ESPN. “I’m trying to change. We’re in the process still. It looks like a damn spaceship out there.” He added, “We got to change it. The face mask doesn’t fit the helmet because that’s an old face mask, obviously just like I’m old, but we’re trying to find the right helmet right now.”
Per USA Today’s report from June, Rodgers is heading into his 21st NFL season with an unexpected headgear dilemma. After wearing a Schutt helmet for two decades… Most recently the now-banned Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD… The Steelers QB was forced to switch following the NFL’s latest safety study, which outlawed seven models this offseason. “I can’t stand the helmet,” Rodgers admitted after minicamp. “I’ve worn a Schutt for 20 years and somehow it finally didn’t pass the safety standards.” He appeared in a Schutt F7 Pro, which passed testing. But the change recalls the 2019 helmet ban Rodgers once brushed off as “not difficult at all” to adapt to. Whether he sticks with Schutt or moves to a VICIS model, which is a company he has invested in, is still up in the air before Week 1.
Rodgers’ preferred helmet, the Schutt Air XP Pro Q11 LTD, had been with him for his entire NFL career until the 2025 ban. That ruling forced him to test other options, and he settled on the Schutt Air XP Pro VTD II for Year 21. He’s worn it throughout camp but hasn’t stopped grumbling about the fit, especially around the face mask. For a quarterback who’s always been particular about his gear, the helmet adjustment is proving to be an unwelcome subplot in a season he hoped would be about anything but equipment drama.
The connection between Aaron Rodgers’ equipment frustrations and his being willing to “give up” on finding a solution creates a big problem for the coaching staff. Rodgers seems to have given up and is just going to use subpar equipment that doesn’t fit with his preferred face mask. For Mike Tomlin, managing a quarterback who has given up on solving a fundamental equipment issue is another headache. It is what’s becoming a complicated relationship with the veteran QB for him.
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