Every NFL team handles preseason reps differently. No team gives a ton of reps to their starters, but most organizations vary on how many. The Steelers played some in their win over the Jaguars last Saturday, but most of their veteran starters sat out. That included Aaron Rodgers, who may not see any preseason action at all over the next two weeks.
Chris Simms thinks that would be a mistake.
“Hey, you wanna be cautious, I get that. I think they’re making a mistake there, in my opinion,” Simms said Wednesday of the likelihood of Rodgers missing the entire preseason on Pro Football Talk. “And I know, who the hell am I to tell Mike Tomlin or Aaron Rodgers what to do. Why do we want to get the cobwebs out, and get used to things when it counts the most, Week 1?”
Rodgers has never really played much, if at all, in the preseason. He got some occasional snaps during his time with the Packers, and did play a handful of snaps in the preseason for the Jets in 2023.
There are pros and cons when it comes to Rodgers playing in the preseason. The biggest reason to leave him out is obviously his age and risk of injury. Mason Rudolph is a great backup quarterback, but if Rodgers suffered a significant injury, the Steelers’ chances of contending with Rudolph starting take a hit. Rodgers will turn 42 in December, and has been taking hits from NFL defenders for two decades now. Some argue that it’s simply not worth the risk, especially with Rodgers’ recovery time being longer due to age and a 17-game regular-season slate ahead of him.
However, the preseason is an excellent time to get reps before the games start to matter.
“Even the great ones sometimes need to get out there,” Simms said. “And we’ve talked about Rodgers. He’s been one of the more jittery quarterbacks in all of football over the last two or three years. To me, it’s the experience. You always hear quarterbacks [say], ‘Hey let me get hit once,’ blah blah blah, ‘it makes me feel better.'”
Rodgers has stated he is willing to play in the preseason. However, Mike Tomlin doesn’t seem like he’s a big proponent of it. Speaking to the media last week, Rodgers claimed preseason isn’t “real football”.
Tomlin has also hinted that Rodgers may not see any time in the preseason. If that is the case, it’s not the worst thing in the world. The Steelers do have a joint practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday. Aaron Rodgers will surely get some reps then, allowing him to against starters on a different team for the first time this summer.
