The Pittsburgh Steelers' first preseason game against the Jaguars was a surprisingly fun watch, considering so few key players suited up on Pittsburgh's side. None of their big veteran additions made their debut, so it was all about the rookies and depth options. They didn't disappoint by any means, but fans undoubtedly want to see guys like DK Metcalf and Aaron Rodgers.
According to Head Coach Mike Tomlin, that won't be happening this week either. Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reported that the team will again hold out many of its best players against the Buccaneers, including the aforementioned Metcalf and Rodgers.
While it's not a surprise that Tomlin wants to protect his most valuable players from injury in what is an all-in season, it's a risk not to get these guys reps before the season officially kicks off.
Pittsburgh Steelers' resting key starters against Buccaneers is a serious gamble
DeFabo listed out all of the players not expected to suit up, and it's a very similar list to last week's inactives.
Mike Tomlin said he plans to play Saturday's preseason game “very much like last one" with many held out, including: Aaron Rodgers, DK, Jaylen Warren, Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, Isaac Seumalo, T.J. Watt, Highsmith, , Cam Heyward, Queen, core secondary guys (Slay, Ramsey, JPJ).
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) August 14, 2025
Some players, like T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, probably don't need the reps at this point to get ready for the season. For the newcomers, however, getting live reps in a (mostly) real game environment could be crucial to starting the season fast. Rodgers may be a 20-year vet at this point, but he is playing with a whole new group of weapons for the first time in a very long time.
The same goes for guys like Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, and Jonnu Smith. They have decades of NFL experience between them, but none have come with the Steelers. Smith does have the advantage of being coached by offensive coordinator Arthur Smith several times in the past, but this is still a new group that he has to find his place in.
With a relatively easy schedule to start the 2025 season, Pittsburgh can't afford to drop winnable games in September and October. They will need to stack wins to make harder games in November and December less important. The same issues have plagued their AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals, in recent years, keeping them out of the playoffs last year despite a historic effort from their offense.
Hopefully, we see these key starters make at least a short appearance in the last preseason game against the Panthers. If not, and the Steelers do indeed start the season off cold, fans will have every right to question how the preseason was handled.