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The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently gearing up for the preseason as they prepare for the upcoming 2025 NFL season. Not many expect the Steelers to play their starters much at all this preseason considering the collective relatively advanced age of the team, particularly Aaron Rodgers, who will turn 42 years old this year.
Recently, head coach Mike Tomlin announced several starters who would be out for the Steelers’ first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, including Rodgers.
“I’m just extremely comfortable with my decision not to play him this week,” Tomlin said, per Curt Popejoy of SteelersWire.
Some Steelers fans have been concerned that Rodgers, who signed with the team relatively late in the offseason, won’t have enough reps with the Pittsburgh offense to be able to hit the ground running once the regular season gets underway in one month.
However, at the current juncture, it seems that Tomlin is prioritizing health and rest, and will let any rust when the season begins fall where it may.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made some notable changes to their roster this offseason, including parting ways with both of last year’s quarterbacks, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, each of whom took their talents to the Big Apple (Fields with the New York Jets and Wilson with the New York Giants).
Meanwhile, the Steelers coincidentally filled their quarterback vacancy with a former member of the Jets in Rodgers, who didn’t provide a ton to be encouraged about last year with New York.
The Steelers recently got some tough injury news regarding backup quarterback Will Howard, whom the team drafted out of Ohio State this spring and was expected to play some major minutes for the team during preseason.
However, it doesn’t appear that Tomlin plans on filling those minutes with any time from Rodgers.
The Steelers also reshaped their defense by sending out Minkah Fitzpatrick in a deal that brought back Jalen Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins.
Pittsburgh is clearly trying to assemble a roster filled with enough veteran talent to compete for a Super Bowl, even if a lot will be resting on Rodgers’ 41 year-old shoulders.
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