LATROBE, PA (93.7 The Fan) – We know we won’t see Will Howard in a preseason game due to injury, but will we see Aaron Rodgers. Not likely Saturday in Jacksonville, but at all in the preseason?
Last year even though he was coming back from a season-ending Achilles injury, Rodgers did not play a snap in the Jets preseason. In his first season with New York, Rodgers played in the fourth preseason game, going 5 of 8 for 47 yards and a touchdown.
There aren’t four preseason games anymore, would Rodgers play for the Steelers this preseason?
“It’s an interesting conversation Mike (Tomlin) and I will have at some point,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “I don’t think it’s in the plan for me to play this week. Whatever Mike wants to do, I’m fully on board.”
Steelers only have three healthy quarterbacks on the roster. You would think unless they just let Skylar Thompson play a lot, they would add another arm for times in camp and then potentially in a preseason game.
It doesn’t seem like Rodgers is above playing in the preseason. What it does seem like is that the 41-year-old questions what the value is of these games anymore.
“With all due respect, then I can say whatever I want, preseason football is not necessarily real football because the defenses just do a whole lot and the offenses don’t either,” Rodgers said.
He said you go into those games with a limited playbook against a defense likely only playing three basic coverages. Rodgers even said he believes there is oftentimes communication between coaches before a game of what they would like to see the other teams do. For example, one coach might say they aren’t going to pressure the quarterback much or they might ask the opposing coach to bring pressure so they can practice against it.
The only benefit Rodgers really sees from the preseason is operationally. He said often in camp you not adhere to the 40 second clock to call a play, get to the line of scrimmages, get in the right situation and then execute.
Beyond that, he said it’s changed greatly since he started in the league.
His comments make you wonder how long it will be to when they just have joint practices or scrimmages, as Rodgers said you get more out of a joint practice than a preseason game.