Steelers Now
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers head coachMike Tomlin will sit only four starters for his team’s final preseason game of the 2025 season on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers, he announced on Tuesday.
Tomlin said that quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf, defensive tackle Cam Heyward and outside linebacker T.J. Watt are the only four players that he has told won’t play.
The rest of the 90-man roster are preparing as if they will suit up in Carolina, though Tomlin said some final decisions may depend on who the Panthers send out as opposition. Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters in Carolina this week that he plans to rest most of his starters.
“It’d be good to have a dance partner,” Tomlin said. “We’ll see where those roads lead.’
That could mean that the Steelers might not dress veteran defensive backs like Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and DeShon Elliott, who have not yet suited up this preseason. But Tomlin said he’d like to see them out there together.
“There’s a collective component, a coordination component, a communication component to what they do and if you get an opportunity to get some snaps versus some really capable people in a stadium, we’d appreciate it.”
Several other Steelers players will likely miss the game due to injury, but Tomlin did rule out of any of outside linebackers Alex Highsmith (groin) and Nick Herbig (hamstring), quarterback Will Howard (finger), wide receivers Calvin Austin III (oblique) and Ben Skowronek (toe), cornerbacks Cory Trice (hamstring), Joey Porter Jr. (hand) and Donte Kent (foot/ankle) and offensive linemen Calvin Anderson (soft tissue), Ryan McCollum (leg), Aidan Williams (knee) and long snapper Christian Kuntz (sternum).
Tomlin said the the importance of the final preseason game meant he wanted to leave the light on for any of them to make themselves available for the finale. While players like Highsmith and Porter have nothing to worry about in terms of their role and making the team, many of the others have some work to do — and he won’t hold them back if they’re able to go.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Rules Out Four, Including Aaron Rodgers, for Steelers Preseason Finale
