Sports
Aaron Rodgers is the new leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense, and what has sparked enormous curiosity is the fact that he will not play in any preseason game. This decision is unprecedented, as never before has a quarterback expected to start the regular season skipped every single preseason contest.
Since 2004, when Ben Roethlisberger joined the team, Steelers quarterbacks had always taken snaps in at least one preseason matchup. But in 2025, Rodgers will not see a single minute of action, including the final tune-up game against the Carolina Panthers this weekend.
Aaron Rodgers responds to Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw
No clear announcement from Tomlin or Rodgers
In a league like the NFL, information typically becomes public to ensure transparency for teams, players, and fans. Yet, this time, silence has prevailed. Neither head coach Mike Tomlin nor quarterback Aaron Rodgers has offered any explanation as to why he will not participate.
The most reasonable assumption is that both men reached a private agreement to preserve the health of the veteran quarterback heading into the 2025 campaign. One possibility is that Rodgers’ official signing after the June minicamps was designed to allow him to bypass part of the preseason without facing questions about his absence.
Another explanation is that the two sides agreed he would not play the preseason at all. A third option, perhaps the most intriguing, is that the Steelers have given Rodgers full control to manage the offense as he sees fit.
Whatever the case, this unprecedented approach underscores the organization’s complete trust in Rodgers’ abilities. It also reflects their hope that in 2025, he can guide them back to the playoffs and win a postseason game for the first time since 2016.
A season opener under the spotlight
It will be fascinating to watch how Rodgers performs in live action after sitting out the entire preseason and participating only partially in early training sessions. His first test will come in Week 1, when the Steelers visit the New York Jets, the team where Rodgers struggled over the last two seasons. Fans at MetLife Stadium are expected to turn against him, still frustrated by his disappointing stint in New York.
The opening stretch appears manageable for Rodgers and the Steelers. They face the Jets, followed by the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. The real challenges arrive beginning in Week 4, when Pittsburgh will face the Minnesota Vikings, two matchups with the Cincinnati Bengals, two against the Baltimore Ravens, and tough contests versus the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Buffalo Bills.
If the Steelers fail to capitalize on the winnable early games, the outlook could darken significantly, not only for Rodgers but also for Tomlin, who might face difficult decisions to protect the team’s future.
Should this scenario unfold, critics will inevitably question the wisdom of Rodgers’ decision to skip the preseason. For now, all eyes remain on the coming days to see whether this unorthodox plan pays off.
This news was originally published on this post .
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