The Pittsburgh Steelers have faced starters in both of their preseason contests. They won’t see it for a third time Thursday night. Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced his squad will rest its starters for the preseason finale against Pittsburgh. Despite uneven performances, Canales is sticking to his original plan.
The Panthers are 0-2 in the preseason with both sides of the ball struggling. Outscored 50-13 in those contests, quarterback Bryce Young has completed just half of his passes while the running game has done little. First-round pick Tetairoa McMillan had one long catch in his preseason debut but has been invisible since, failing to catch a pass on two targets in yesterday’s 20-3 loss to the Houston Texans.
Despite that, the Panthers won’t risk injury and will rest their starters. Meaning, the Steelers won’t see Young, McMillan, and key defensive players like CB Jaycee Horn (who has battled a thumb injury) and DT Derrick Brown.
Carolina’s No. 2 quarterback is veteran Andy Dalton, but he left yesterday’s game with an elbow injury. Canales told reporters Dalton appears to have avoided a serious injury but will have imaging done for a definitive determination. If held out of Thursday’s game, Jack Plummer is the only other quarterback on the Panthers’ roster and will get the start. He completed 10-of-14 passes for 83 yards with two interceptions against the Texans.
Pittsburgh’s defense will likely see plenty of rookie RB Trevor Etienne and WR Jimmy Horn while veteran and former Las Vegas Raiders WR Hunter Renfrow, signed in the offseason after missing all of 2024 with an illness, could also see plenty of snaps.
Mike Tomlin hasn’t announced if he’ll play any of his starters. Most of the team’s key players haven’t logged a snap this preseason. QB Aaron Rodgers, WR DK Metcalf, EDGE T.J. Watt, CB/S Jalen Ramsey, and other notable names were rested against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The only starting unit that has seen significant playing time is the offensive line. Tomlin will speak to the media Tuesday and likely offer an update.
