Steelers preseason: 20 players set to miss Week 1 vs. Jaguars

It looks like Aaron Rodgers’ first pass in a Steelers game will have to wait for another week.

In Thursday’s practice, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced a laundry list of Steelers players who will be held out of the team’s preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, Aug. 9.

Per PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh, the list is as follows:

• QB Aaron Rodgers
• WR D.K. Metcalf
• TEs Jonnu Smith, Pat Freiermuth
• OL Isaac Seumalo
• RB Jaylen Warren
• CBs Darius Slay, Joey Porter Jr., Jalen Ramsey
• S DeShon Elliott
• LB Patrick Queen
• DL Cam Heyward
• OLBs T.J. Watt, Nick Herbig
• K Chris Boswell

While names such as Seumalo and Porter have dealt with injuries in past practices, Tomlin seems to just be holding out veteran starters out of precaution.

However, also per Farabaugh, Tomlin told the media that several players will be missing the game due to injury:

• OLB Alex Highsmith
• WR Calvin Austin III
• CBs Cory Trice Jr., Donte Kent

Quarterback Will Howard, who has a hand injury, will also miss the game, with Tomlin telling reporters that the rookie still has a shot at playing later in the preseason, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

With an estimated 20 players missing Saturday’s action, the team still has 71 players on its offseason roster who will be able to suit up. That includes four-fifths of the starting offensive line, and five of the Steelers’ seven-man draft class.

Steelers-Jaguars is set to kickoff in Jacksonville at 7 p.m. EST Saturday.