Aaron Rodgers Likely To Skip Preseason For Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is unlikely to see the field before the regular season kicks off.

Head coach Mike Tomlin hinted at keeping his 41-year-old quarterback out of preseason action, pointing to Rodgers’ two decades of NFL experience as a reason to tailor the approach.

While the four-time MVP had expressed a willingness to play, all signs point to him staying on the sideline until Week 1.

Tomlin told the team’s official website that Rodgers’ preparation needs are different from most quarterbacks, and that adapting to individual players is his responsibility. “If I am not adaptable and open to adjustments relative to the needs of our guys,” said Tomlin, “then I am not doing my job.”

Rodgers joined Pittsburgh just before minicamp and did not take part in team drills until training camp began, making him relatively new to Arthur Smith’s offensive system. Despite the adjustment period, Rodgers has been vocal about his readiness.

“I’m fully on board,” he said when asked about the possibility of playing in the preseason, before adding that “preseason football is not necessarily real football,” as quoted by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The decision comes as the Steelers deal with a temporary depth chart shuffle. Rookie Will Howard, who had been working closely with Rodgers during camp, is recovering from a broken pinky finger. That leaves Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and newly signed Logan Woodside to handle most of the exhibition snaps.

For Rodgers, the next month will be about building chemistry without live preseason reps. Whether that strategy pays off will be measured quickly as his first regular-season game will come against the New York Jets, the team he departed after just one year.

If the Steelers start fast, Tomlin’s call will look like a calculated move. If not, questions about whether Rodgers needed August reps will follow him well into the fall.

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