Aaron Rodgers hasn’t even taken a regular-season snap for the Steelers, and already, his name is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Not only is the 41-year-old quarterback being kept out of preseason action, but he’s also been left off a viral QB traits ranking, a snub almost unthinkable for a four-time MVP with over 500 touchdown passes. For a future Hall of Famer brought in to jolt Pittsburgh’s offense back to life, the chatter isn’t about jaw-dropping throws. It’s about whether the sky-high expectations are slipping faster than the clock on his one-year, $20 million deal.
But when you’re 41, coming off an Achilles tear, and the games don’t count, the risk starts outweighing the reps. That’s where Mike Tomlin stepped in. Before announcing his decision, he had to weigh the pros and cons. Protecting Rodgers’ health and not letting preseason chaos dictate the season’s fate. Rodgers, for his part, has always been blunt about these August games. “Preseason football is not necessarily real football,” he said, pointing out that playbooks stay vanilla and coaches often agree on what to run.
And while Rodgers’ name is being sidelined from the field, his name is getting left off somewhere else as well. Something far more disrespectful for a guy who has four MVP wins with his team. A Steelers insider pointed out how Dan Orlovsky dropped his viral QB traits rankings on X, and somehow, the widely considered top-10 quarterback of all time, with 503 career touchdown passes, didn’t land his name there. Well, that’s not just a snub. And it’s happening before he’s even taken his first real snap in Pittsburgh.
And that’s the real kicker! His name is slipping off the field, too. The Steelers’ offense, with Rodgers at the helm, hasn’t just failed to click; it’s been consistently disjointed through nearly every practice session at camp. Aaron Rodgers didn’t just walk into Pittsburgh. The weight of sky-high expectations? Sitting squarely on his shoulders. The clock is already ticking loudly. At 42, the future Hall of Famer signed a one-year deal worth up to $20 million after back-to-back seasons where injuries stole the spotlight.
Credits: Pittsburgh Steelers Official Website
Rodgers still talks like he’s got it, but the whispers say otherwise. Especially after the Steelers threw $375 million at a roster overhaul built for right now. And so far? Camp hasn’t exactly been kind. Reports say he’s trailing Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson in individual drills. For a guy of Rodgers’ caliber, that’s raising questions.
Aaron Rodgers was left out in Mike Tomlin’s bold gamble
Mike Tomlin made it clear early in the week—Aaron Rodgers wasn’t touching the field against the Jaguars. Sitting starters in preseason isn’t exactly groundbreaking for Tomlin, but this time it’s different. He’s not just shelving a few big names. He’s parking more than a dozen starters, and Rodgers might not take a single snap all preseason. That’s not even a move he pulled when Ben Roethlisberger was limping through the twilight of his career. And considering Rodgers signed late with Pittsburgh, it’s a calculated step. It could either keep him fresh or maybe even leave him rusty. You may never know.
It’s like a philosophy rooted in scars. Rodgers’ last “meaningless” preseason cameo came in 2023 with the Jets, when four snaps turned into a torn Achilles and a season gone before it started. But he didn’t come to Pittsburgh for August reps or to prove he can hit an 8-yard out route in shorts. He came for one more real run. One more swing at relevance, and maybe, if the stars align, one last grab at a ring. This isn’t about the warmup; it’s about the finish line.
“You might be looking at one in 2025,” Tomlin said. “Hey, this guy has been doing this for 21 years. His cumulative snap total and what’s required for him to be ready is different than others. And so if I’m not adaptable and open to adjustments relative to the needs of our guys, then I’m not doing my job. And so you might be looking at one of those coaches in 2025.” In Tomlin’s eyes, Rodgers doesn’t need that kind of tune-up. He just needs to be standing when it counts.
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