Overview
- Rodgers told The Athletic on Monday that McCarthy has asked him to play roughly 30 to 40 snaps across the Steelers’ first two preseason games versus the Packers and Jets.
- McCarthy said the plan is not final and that the team will decide closer to the games after weighing health, practice progress and broader roster needs.
- Playing Rodgers would give him live-game reps to install McCarthy’s offense and lead the unit in traffic that can’t be replicated in practice.
- Giving Rodgers those snaps would reduce live opportunities for backups such as Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar, making the allocation important for the backup competition and roster pecking order.
- The request revives a familiar Green Bay reunion narrative and raises common veteran-care questions: Rodgers is 42, missed most recent preseasons and tore his Achilles in 2023, so Pittsburgh must weigh preparation against added injury risk.