Aaron Rodgers Covered in Blood After Hard Hit in 26-7 Loss to Buffalo Bills — What Happened?

Injuries on the gridiron are nothing new. NFL players deal with hard hits to the head, the neck, the back, the torso, and even the knees from time to time. Dealing with injuries as much a way of life for players as practicing their skills.

But sometimes, an injury is so dramatic and shocking that people talk about it for days after, if not longer.

During a late November 2025 showdown game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers took an injury that left him covered in blood. Unfortunately, whatever happened to his nose didn't stop fans from roundly booing the Steelers after a disappointing showing against the Bills. Here's what we know about what happened to Aaron's nose, and why fans were justified in letting loose with their frustration, according to the man himself.

It was the second half of a grueling game between the Steelers and the Bills. In the very first play, Aaron was winding up for a throw when he took a punishing sack from Bills edge rusher Joey Bosa.

Aaron's face slammed into the ground, the ball popped free, and Christian Benford caught the loose ball, running it home for another score that set the Steelers on their heels with the Bills enjoying a 10-7 lead. The Steelers never scored again, but that runaway recovery gave the Bills momentum, which led to several more touchdowns.

Aaron took a moment on the ground before getting up, face bloody, and heading for the sidelines.

It would appear that Aaron's injury was just a minor face wound with a hefty dose of blood, but it doesn't appear to be anything serious or enduring.

This injury comes after Aaron was fresh off a different injury to his wrist, which forced him to play in a cast, and in the post-game presser, the quarterback explained, "I felt good enough to be out there, just not ready to take a snap under center, hopefully next week for that. Disappointed in my performance, disappointed in the offensive performance and got to flush it" (via CBS News).

The quarterback also shared that he understands why fans booed the Steelers and why they were so frustrated with the team's performance against the Bills.

In the post-game, Aaron admitted, "I totally understand the frustration. I've been booed on offense, even in Green Bay over the years. That was a boo-worthy performance."

He also acknowledged that he and tight end Jonnu Smith simply failed to connect, leading to many missed opportunities; "Jonnu and I just weren't on the same page. I checked to his in-breaker, and he ran an out-breaker. Jonnu is a true professional, so I'm sure he's sick about that" (via ESPN).

Wide Receiver Calvin Austin III agreed, explaining, "Yeah, we ain't meeting the standard. This team has a standard that when it takes the field, fans are expecting to see a certain thing, and it's our duty to provide that. It's as simple as that. As fans, they come here to cheer us on, but we aren't giving them anything to cheer about."

Hopefully after some R&R and healing for Aaron, the team can come back with the standards their fans expect.