When the Steelers face the Panthers for the 2025 preseason finale, starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers won’t play. Which means he will have not played at all in the preseason.
For the Steelers, that’s a rarity. As noted by Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it’s the first time that a healthy Steelers’ starting quarterback hasn’t played in any preseason game since before the arrival of Ben Roethlisberger in 2004.
On one hand, it’s surprising. On the other hand, it isn’t. While neither Rodgers nor coach Mike Tomlin have divulged the full details of any understanding reached when Rodgers spent six hours or so at the team’s facility on a Friday in March, it’s reasonable to speculate that Rodgers and Tomlin mapped out a loose agreement as to how things would go.
First, possibly, they agreed Rodgers would sign just before the mandatory minicamp in June. That would allow him to avoid the voluntary portion of the offseason program without creating questions as to why Rodgers wasn’t participating in the offseason program.
Second, possibly, they agreed Rodgers wouldn’t play in the preseason.
Third, possibly, they agreed Rodgers would run the offense as he sees fit.
Rodgers is smart. Rodgers had leverage. The Steelers wanted him, and they didn’t have a viable, high-end alternative. They’re increasingly desperate to win a playoff game for the first time since the 2016 season. Why wouldn’t Rodgers seek to clarify certain things before he ever signed a contract?
Regardless of how or why the situation unfolded, Rodgers will be playing for the Steelers for the first time in the first game of the regular season. At MetLife Stadium. Against his most recent former team.
Despite the many experiences Rodgers has had in 20 prior NFL seasons, he has never faced a former team. He’ll be doing it in their building. Jets fans will be loud and unforgiving. A case easily could be made for making sure that, along with the other unprecedented aspects of the day, taking the field as a member of the Steelers shouldn’t be one of them.
Then there’s the issue of proper preparation. He missed the offseason. He didn’t do much at mandatory minicamp. By not playing even one drive in a preseason game, Rodgers and the Steelers will be opening themselves up to plenty of questions, if things get rocky in what should be a winnable Week 1 game.
The first three games should result in victories. At Jets, vs. Seahawks, at Patriots. After that, it changes. Vikings. Bengals twice. Ravens twice. Packers. Lions. Bills.
Wins in September are money in the bank. Losses in September create a hole out of which the team must dig. And the margins between winning a division or securing a wild-card berth are tight, especially in the AFC.
The decision to not play Rodgers in the preseason is a calculated risk. It’s still a risk. If the Steelers lose one or two of those first three games, plenty of people will wonder whether it would have gone differently if Rodgers had been better prepared for the games that count.