As of the time of writing, there is quite a bit up in the air regarding the health of several key players on both teams heading into this Week 12 matchup at Soldier Field. Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fractured his wrist last week against the Bengals, but is reportedly doing his best to try to suit up this week. This is a game that Bears fans circled on their calendars the minute the schedule came out due to Rodgers’ return to Chicago after over a decade of terrorizing the Bears while wearing a Green Bay Packers uniform. I’d expect him to do everything he can to make sure he steps onto that field on Sunday.
In addition to Rodgers’ situation, the Bears have a lot of moving parts injury-wise as well. Cornerback Jaylon Johnson has finally been taken off of IR, and even hinted towards playing this week. I don’t expect him to suit up quite yet, but it is a possibility. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds were both shaken up last week, so we’ll see if they end up playing.
Moving past the injury talk, the Bears come in sitting at 7-3. With playoffs now on the mind, this game becomes somewhat of a must-win. Chicago’s two opponents following this week are the Eagles and Packers, both on the road. Even with the Steelers at 6-4, this is one of the “easiest” games remaining on the schedule.
Keys to the Game
Bears
- Protect the Football
Chicago needs to take extra care of the football this week. We all know how important it is for the Bears to win the turnover battle, and it will be much more difficult against the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s defense sits at 2nd in takeaways-only behind Chicago. It leads the NFL in recovered forced fumbles. In the Steelers’ win against the Colts, they forced six turnovers. The Bears need to hold on tight, especially after seeing Pittsburgh’s drills during practice this week (the Steelers had a wide receiver posing as “Caleb Williams” to prepare pass rushers for his escapability; they also clearly had a strong emphasis on knocking the ball out of his hands).
- Pound Rock with Swift and Monangai
I expect this to be a big Swift and Monangai game, if things go how the Bears want them to. The Steelers always find a way to make games ugly, so I don’t expect many fireworks through the air. Ben Johnson and the Bears are fine with this; with their strong rushing attack and propensity to win close games, they have shown the ability to come out of rugged games victorious. The Bears are 6th in yards per carry, while the Steelers have a slightly below-average run defense.
Steelers
- Get Caleb Williams on the Ground
For the Steelers, their pass rush would make a real difference if it can get a few sacks. This has been a strength for Pittsburgh, who ranks 3rd in sacks in 2025. The defensive line is quite good, headlined by Cam Heyward, who ranks 1st out of 124 defensive lineman on PFF, and Nick Herbig, who ranks 5th out of 117 edges on PFF.
In addition, the sacks that Minnesota was able to get against Chicago last week were vital. Both of the Vikings’ sacks came on the same drive, which created an immense amount of momentum that was the spark for their 4th-quarter comeback.
- Generate a Viable Threat on the Ground
It may not be 100% necessary to secure the win, but if Pittsburgh can have a real rushing attack on Sunday a victory would certainly be easier to come by. Ranking 29th in rushing yards and 27th in yards per carry this year, the Steelers are not used to getting anything on the ground. Facing a Chicago defense who gives up the 3rd-most yards per carry, however, they have a chance to change that this week. This is especially important because of Chicago’s tendency to create turnovers via interceptions. If you’re Aaron Rodgers, you don’t want to be put in obvious pass situations, both because of your bum wrist and the ballhawks in the Bears’ back-seven.