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Mike McCarthy wants Aaron Rodgers to play in Steelers' preseason games | Latest NFL News, Analysis & Updates | NFL.com

Mike McCarthy wants Aaron Rodgers to play in Pittsburgh Steelers' first two preseason games against the Packers and Jets, with Rodgers potentially playing for 30-40 snaps.

First seen Aug 03, 2026 · 2:30 PM UTC · last updated Aug 03 4:00 PM

Scoring Zone's Take

Aaron Rodgers logging real preseason reps — reportedly 30-40 snaps across the Steelers' first two exhibition games against the Packers and Jets — is a healthy sign heading into your draft prep. This isn't just token participation; McCarthy wants him building chemistry with a new offense and receiving corps under actual game conditions, which suggests the staff is treating him as the unquestioned Week 1 starter rather than someone being managed cautiously due to age or injury concerns. The fact that the team's backup quarterback situation is described as a factor in the decision also hints Pittsburgh wants Rodgers game-ready rather than leaning on a thin QB2 room.

For draft purposes, this is a mild but real positive signal. A 41-year-old veteran taking extended live snaps in August, by choice of the coaching staff, indicates confidence in his health and arm, and it gives him a legitimate runway to sync with his weapons before games matter. That modestly bumps his floor as a late-round or streaming QB option — think low-end QB2 territory in most formats, with QB1 weeks plausible if the offensive weapons hit expectations. It also nudges up the value of the Steelers' pass-catchers, since more live reps with Rodgers in preseason theoretically means smoother early-season timing.

Confidence here is decent — both reports agree on the specific 30-40 snap plan and preseason opponents, though the second source flags that final decisions still hinge on unspecified factors, so treat the exact workload as fluid. Bottom line: no immediate roster action needed, but file Rodgers as a speculative late-round QB target and keep an eye on how those preseason reps actually go before locking in draft rankings.

Mike McCarthy wants Aaron Rodgers to play in Steelers' preseason games

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers joins NFL Network's Kyle Brandt for an interview at "Back Together Weekend."

The last time Aaron Rodgers saw significant preseason action was 2018, when Mike McCarthy was entering his final season in Green Bay. With the QB-coach reunion in Pittsburgh, it appears the clock will be turning back for Rodgers.

The 42-year-old told Mike Silver of The Athletic that McCarthy has asked him to play in the Steelers' first two preseason games against the Packers and Jets -- Rodgers’ two previous clubs.

“He (wants me out there for) 30 or 40 plays,” Rodgers told Silver. “I said, ‘Mike, if you want me to play, I’ll play.’ I’m not saying I want to do it. But if he wants me to, I will.”

McCarthy clarified his expectations on Monday.

"Those decisions are really gonna be made once we get up to it," the Steelers coach said. "Trust me, I have a lot of ideas. ... We have plans, but being a healthy system, let's see what happens. A lot can happen between now and [then].

"He'd like to play. I would like to see him play. But we won't make a decision until we get all the way up to it because there's more that goes into that than having one player play. It's the culmination of players."

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Rodgers saw zero preseason action last year under Mike Tomlin. The last time he took a preseason snap was in 2023 -- two series in the Jets’ preseason finale. The last time he took substantial preseason snaps was in 2018, eight seasons ago, in Green Bay.

It’s interesting for McCarthy to want his quadragenarian quarterback to take up a significant chunk of preseason reps. The familiarity between McCarthy and his former quarterback was one of the selling points of the one-year coupling. Allowing Rodgers to dip his toe in the water is one thing, but 30 to 40 plays is something different.

The news is also curious given the Steelers' backup quarterback questions, particularly youngsters Will Howard, who took zero game snaps last season, and rookie Drew Allar battling for roster positioning. How the preseason snaps are divvied up could be telling as to who has the inside track behind Rodgers.

Coverage from Nfl Dot Com News · by Kevin Patra · Aug 03, 2026 · read original