Aaron Rodgers told the media that he [doesn’t expect to play](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/08/aaron-rodgers-doesnt-think-hell-play-in-preseason-opener/) in the first preseason game, though he was open to the idea if Mike Tomlin asked him to. Tomlin held a [press conference this morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj4SRTpbbdA&ab_channel=PittsburghSteelers) ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars and confirmed that Rodgers will not play.
Rodgers expanded on his thoughts about the preseason and said he doesn’t find it overly beneficial. Oftentimes teams aren’t running real plays and coaches coordinate to make sure they get the best practice looks in these games. It’s good to get through the operation of fielding calls from the sideline and getting out of the huddle, but everything else is nowhere near the real thing.
The Steelers will have two more preseason games ahead. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them play Rodgers for a drive or two later in the preseason. They put Russell Wilson out there last year despite him nursing a calf injury (which he later reaggravated). On the other hand, it really wouldn’t be surprising to see them hold Rodgers out of the preseason entirely. Tomlin declined to answer questions about future preseason games.
Most who play in the preseason are fighting for a roster spot. While the starters may be using it as a tune-up game, the backups are treating it like their jobs depend on it. All it takes is one overzealous defensive lineman to blow through the offensive line and injure Rodgers.
Rodgers said that the joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week should be more beneficial than anything that happens in the preseason. With a closed practice, the Steelers don’t have to worry about keeping their actual plays under wraps. They can get closer to an actual game scenario that way in their scrimmages.
With Will Howard out injured, this means Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson will play the entire game in Jacksonville. The Steelers have not signed a fourth arm for the rest of the preseason yet.