It doesn’t seem like Aaron Rodgers will play at all Saturday night in the preseason opener for the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road. It remains to be seen if the 41-year-old quarterback sees any reps at all in the preseason.
That could be a mistake on the part of the Steelers if Rodgers ends up not seeing any time, according to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin.
In a piece highlighting eight teams that need the preseason the most, Benjamin highlighted the Steelers as one of the top teams due to the number of new faces on the roster, including Rodgers. It’s not just Rodgers, either. Benjamin raised concerns about the depth behind DK Metcalf at wide receiver and how the secondary will look with new pieces in place.
“Will Aaron Rodgers actually want, or be granted, legitimate preseason playing time? Because the clock is ticking on the 41-year-old adapting to another new program,” Benjamin writes of Rodgers and the Steelers, according to CBS Sports. “Can a downfield threat emerge opposite DK Metcalf out wide, ensuring Rodgers has someone other than young Roman Wilson to target on deep shots?
“How will Mike Tomlin’s new-look secondary shake out with Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay added to a defensive back group now missing safety Minkah Fitzpatrick?”
They are all important questions for the Steelers, and the preseason could be a good time to try and get some general answers, even if Rodgers doesn’t believe preseason football is real football.
Early on in camp, Rodgers and the rest of the offense struggled mightily. They were trying to make up for lost time from earlier in the offseason in Organized Team Activities when Rodgers wasn’t on the roster yet. It led to some sloppy performances in training camp. But lately, the offense has started to click, Rodgers has looked sharper recently, and things are seemingly rounding into form.
It’s just training camp practices, though. Things could look different against a real opponent inside an NFL stadium. Even if it’s just one series in the preseason home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week, Rodgers needs to see some snaps.
He needs work in a game setting with DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson, Calvin Austin III, Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith.
Guys like Wilson, Austin, Scotty Miller, Robert Woods and more also need an opportunity to show that the work they’ve been doing in training camp carries over into a game with Rodgers, too.
As for the new-look secondary, it’s one thing to communicate well in a controlled environment like a camp practice. It’s another to do it inside a stadium. It might not be loud in the preseason, but under the gun with a play clock, an offense trying to attack, and being on the road could really test them and give them a good look.
So, with how busy the Steelers were this offseason, they could use the reps in games. How much playing time will the big-name additions get this summer in the preseason? That remains to be seen.
Recommended for you