Who Should I Start? Aaron Rodgers or Michael Penix Jr.

Friday, November 21, 2:00 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that quarterback Aaron Rodgers (wrist) is questionable for Sunday's game in Chicago against the Bears in Week 12 after being limited in Friday's practice, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. "We'll see where the weekend leads us," Tomlin said. Rodgers suffered a small fracture in his left (non-throwing) wrist in Sunday's win over the Cincinnati Bengals and is now up in the air to start this weekend. The 41-year-old said it's "a safety thing" rather than a pain-management issue as to whether he actually suits up. The good news for fantasy managers deciding whether to use the future Hall of Famer as a QB2 this weekend is the fact that Pittsburgh and Chicago kick off in the early window on Sunday. If Rodgers is inactive in Chicago, Mason Rudolph will make his first start in 2025.

Wednesday, November 19, 11:40 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) does indeed need surgery that involves "full reconstruction" of his torn ACL and faces "at least" nine months of recovery, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Penix Jr. suffered the injury during his team's Week 11 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The injury occurred in his left knee rather than his right, which is notable considering he tore his right ACL twice during his collegiate career. A nine-month recovery timeline from late November means Penix Jr.'s availability for the start of the 2026 season could be in question. For the remainder of 2025, Atlanta will likely turn to veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has struggled across three games (one start) worth of action so far this season. Cousins profiles as a low-end fantasy QB2 heading into a Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.