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.

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 .

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.

First, possib

See Full Page