Why Hasn’t a Healthy Steelers Quarterback Skipped Preseason in Over 20 Years?

For the Steelers, that’s a rarity. As noted by Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it’s the first time that a healthy Steelers’ starting quarterback hasn’t played in any preseason game since before the arrival of Ben Roethlisberger in 2004.

The first three games should result in victories. At Jets, vs. Seahawks, at Patriots. After that, it changes. Vikings. Bengals twice. Ravens twice. Packers. Lions. Bills.Third, possibly, they agreed Rodgers would run the offense as he sees fit.On one hand, it’s surprising. On the other hand, it isn’t. While neither Rodgers nor coach Mike Tomlin have divulged the full details of any understanding reached when Rodgers spent six hours or so at the team’s facility on a Friday in March, it’s reasonable to speculate that Rodgers and Tomlin mapped out a loose agreement as to how things would go.Despite the many experiences Rodgers has had in 20 prior NFL seasons, he has never faced a former team. He’ll be doing it in their building. Jets fans will be loud and unforgiving. A case easily could be made for making sure that, along with the other unprecedented aspects of the day, taking the field as a member of the Steelers shouldn’t be one of them.Wins in September are money in the bank. Losses in September create a hole out of which the team must dig. And the margins between winning a division or securing a wild-card berth are tight, especially in the AFC.

Rodgers is smart. Rodgers had leverage. The Steelers wanted him, and they didn’t have a viable, high-end alternative. They’re increasingly desperate to win a playoff game for the first time since the 2016 season. Why wouldn’t Rodgers seek to clarify certain things before he ever signed a contract?Then there’s the issue of proper preparation. He missed the offseason. He didn’t do much at mandatory minicamp. By not playing even one drive in a preseason game, Rodgers and the Steelers will be opening themselves up to plenty of questions, if things get rocky in what should be a winnable Week 1 game.Second, possibly, they agreed Rodgers wouldn’t play in the preseason.Regardless of how or why the situation unfolded, Rodgers will be playing for the Steelers for the first time in the first game of the regular season. At MetLife Stadium. Against his most recent former team. The decision to not play Rodgers in the preseason is a calculated risk. It’s still a risk. If the Steelers lose one or two of those first three games, plenty of people will wonder whether it would have gone differently if Rodgers had been better prepared for the games that count.First, possibly, they agreed Rodgers would sign just before the mandatory minicamp in June. That would allow him to avoid the voluntary portion of the offseason program without creating questions as to why Rodgers wasn’t participating in the offseason program. When the Steelers face the Panthers for the 2025 preseason finale, starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers won’t play. Which means he will have not played at all in the preseason.It’s shaping up to be a preseason unlike any other for the Steelers this year—because Aaron Rodgers, the man they’re pinning so many hopes on, will sit out the entire tune-up slate. That’s right: no preseason snaps, no warm-up drives, nada. This is a break from tradition so deep it’s been nearly two decades—since the days before Ben Roethlisberger took the helm—that a healthy Steelers starting quarterback has skipped all preseason action. Now, you might be scratching your head wondering if this is recklessness or some masterstroke brewed behind the scenes between Rodgers and Mike Tomlin. Whether it was a handshake deal crafted during those marathon hours at the team’s practice facility or a strategic play to protect the veteran’s arm, the message is clear: Rodgers is rewriting the playbook on how he steps into Pittsburgh’s offense. But with the first meaningful snaps set for the regular season opener against his former team—yes, the very Jets he once called home—the stakes have never felt higher. The crowd will roar, the pressure will mount, and the questions about Rodgers’ postseason readiness will echo louder than ever if those early wins start slipping away. It’s a high-wire act without the safety net of preseason reps, and honestly, no matter how you slice it, this gamble could shape the Steelers’ entire season. LEARN MORE