The time has finally come, as the Mike McCarthy era will officially begin tonight as the Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the Green Bay Packers. While it’s still just the preseason, there are plenty of fun storylines to watch in this matchup that don’t involve McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers facing the former team.
It’s our first chance to get a glimpse of what McCarthy’s offense might look like in Pittsburgh and what Patrick Graham might try to accomplish on defense. But more than that, it’s time to see a few young players perform under the lights.
So without further ado, here are three players you need to keep an eye on during tonight’s matchup:
Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be watching these three players closely tonight vs. the Packers
QB Drew Allar
We could also include Will Howard here, as both young quarterbacks are expected to play several drives on Thursday. But it’s Allar who is likely the long-term option in Pittsburgh. It’s been a while since Allar last played, as his last start came on October 11th before he suffered a season-ending injury.
Allar will certainly make mistakes tonight, but you can bet that he will flash on a few plays, as well. As is the case for most young players, it’s all about consistency. If he can cut down on the 'awful' plays, Allar should be able to impress on Thursday.
Allar isn't going to convince the fanbase that he is the quarterback of the future in one night, but he could take a step in separating himself from Mason Rudolph and Howard with a strong performance.
OT Broderick Jones
While we haven’t heard officially whether Jones will play tonight or not, he is a player who is worth watching throughout the preseason. After being the starting left tackle last season, he has seemingly fallen out of favor in Pittsburgh. But that could change if he has a big preseason.
While he isn’t likely to earn back his starting left tackle job, he could warrant some consideration at right tackle if Max Iheanachor isn’t ready to practice soon. And if nothing else, maybe another team around the NFL could be interested in his services.
It’s a big spot for Jones, and it’ll be fascinating to see if he’s lost any strength after having neck surgery this offseason. Look for him to play both left and right tackle throughout the season, as he could win the swing tackle spot for McCarthy.
EDGE Jack Sawyer
Sawyer was a highly-touted player coming out of Ohio State, and he did make some splash plays as a rookie. But just like last year, he is blocked by three EDGE rushers ahead of him, all on big deals.
A monster preseason by Sawyer isn’t going to change his spot on the depth chart, but the truth is that Pittsburgh is going to have to make some tough decisions regarding T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith in the near future.
A big performance by Sawyer could go a long way in making some of those decisions. Plus, it would be nice to see some improvement from the former Big Ten star, as he’ll likely be needed at some point during the 2026 season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google