For a 42-year-old veteran like Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the preseason can feel more like a burden than an opportunity. Rodgers essentially said as much during the lead-up to Week 1 of preseason action that begins tonight, calling it "not real football" in a recent press conference.
His own personal feelings aside, the fact that Pittsburgh begins its preseason action by welcoming in the Green Bay Packers makes his possible appearance in the game a big storyline. Head coach Mike McCarthy hasn't revealed whether his starting QB will see any action as of this writing, but the signs point to tonight being more about the Steelers' two young QBs developing behind Rodgers and current backup Mason Rudolph.
Between Rodgers' clear views of exhibition games, as well as his top two receivers (DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr.) being unlikely to play either, I think it's safe to say he will be wearing a headset most of the night as his former team visits Pittsburgh. Until we get confirmation, however, there are still reasons to believe he should at least get a few snaps in.
Latest update on Aaron Rodgers' status for preseason matchup between Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers
According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, Rodgers arrived at Acrisure Stadium roughly 3.5 hours before kickoff, but his playing status is still unknown. His early arrival shouldn't be used as a sign of his chance to play, however, as he could easily be there to catch up with those he still knows from his 18 seasons in Green Bay.
I won't be surprised if we don't get a concrete decision until shortly before the game is set to kick off, or until we see if Rodgers is in pads beforehand.
If I were in McCarthy's shoes, there are really only two reasons to put the four-time MVP out there in a meaningless game: reps with his young receivers and the nostalgia factor. Sure, is it smart to put a 42-year-old on the field without your full starting unit? Probably not, but getting something close to real game reps in with Roman Wilson and Germie Bernard could be a smart way to try some stuff out before the games start to matter.
Seeing Rodgers play against the Packers again (even under preseason circumstances) is admittedly intriguing as well. Is it worth the off chance that he suffers even a minor injury? Absolutely not, but players get hurt even in practice without going full speed. Ultimately, though, I say it should be up to the future Hall of Famer to decide how he wants to approach his final chance to share the field with the Packers. My guess is that he would rather let the other QBs do their thing.
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