November 19, 2025 -

Season 16, Episode 52 of The Terrible Podcast is now in the can. In this Wednesday morning episode, Alex Kozora and I get right into talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers making a few transactions since our last show with one of those being the signing of QB/WR John Rhys Plumlee back to the practice squad on Tuesday. We talk about why Plumlee was likely added to the practice squad in addition to discussing why five other players were brough in for tryouts on Tuesday.

Alex and I then go over the list of injured players the Steelers have heading into Week 12 with QB Aaron Rodgers obviously being our main focus due to a fracture of some kind in his left wrist. We discuss what all HC Mike Tomlin had to say on Tuesday about Rodgers possibly playing on Sunday against the Chicago Bears and whether our gut feelings tell us when it comes to that possibly happening.

Should the Steelers strongly consider starting QB Mason Rudolph against the Bears regardless of what transpires this week with Rodgers? Alex and I attack that question in this show and also talk about the possibility of Rodgers being the backup on Sunday against the Bears. We also talk a little about rookie QB Will Howard possibly getting a few first-team reps this week with Rodgers slowed by injury.

As usual, Alex and I parse all of the notable talking points that came out of Tomlin Tuesday. We discuss what Tomlin had to say about playing time on Sunday for CB Darius Slay and CB James Pierre and if indeed the former will wind up resuming as the starter against the Bears if he clears concussion protocol this week. We discuss what playing time on Sunday might and should look like on Sunday against the Bears when it comes to both Slay and Pierre.

Tomlin talked some about TE Darnell Washington and his usage in the offense on Tuesday, so we make sure to dive a bit deeper into those comments. We also talk about what Tomlin had to say about the reaction S Jalen Ramsey had to Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase spitting on him in the second half of the Week 11 Sunday game at Acrisure Stadium.

With Chase having his one-game suspension upheld on Tuesday as part of his appeal process, Alex and I address what should happen to every player that spits on another player during a game and how the NFL needs to take a more defined punishment stance moving forward.

With the All-22 tape from the Steelers' Sunday home win against the Bengals now fully digested by us, Alex and I discuss the good, bad and ugly that we uncovered from that. We start with the defense and go over how that unit effectively did against the pass on Sunday and the changes that we have seen schematically the last several weeks with Ramsey and Kyle Dugger now manning the two safety positions. We also discuss the three outside linebacker packages the Steelers used on Sunday against the Bengals and how effective that was.

After talking about the defensive play on Sunday, Alex and I move on to talk some about what we saw from the Steelers offense on the all-22 tape from the game against the Bengals. We were both less enthused when it came to that side of the football and we explain why. We also wonder if Rudolph might try to push the football down the field more on Sunday against the Bears should he indeed get the start in that contest over the injured Rodgers.

Alex and I mix in quite a few tape observations during this show and we make sure to discuss the recent play of several different players as well. Alex previews a tape study that he is working on when it comes to Steelers DT Keeanu Benton as well.

This 110-minute episode also discusses several other minor topics not noted and we wrap things up by answering several emails we received from listeners.

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