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While the preseason status is unclear for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, he will no doubt be active for the practices leading up to the start of the regular season. As the relationship between the Steelers and Rodgers continues to build, he would speak about the upcoming week of joint practices with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and what he's looking forward to.
With the joint practices leading to Pittsburgh's second preseason game against the Buccaneers, Rodgers is not only hoping for a “clean practice” but also some new looks from head coach Todd Bowles, according to Chris Adamski. It no doubt seems like a breath of fresh air for Rodgers to play against another team.
“We went against Tampa a couple of years ago, and they had some veteran guys, and it was a pretty clean practice. So, hoping for another clean practice,” Rodgers said. “But it's good to go against a different team. I think what I said was, remembering that you got a chance to go against non-vanilla defenses. So hopefully Todd [Bowles], you know he probably won't show everything, but he'll do some stuff that stresses our protection and give us a chance to get some film to work on.”
Aaron Rodgers on why he likes joint practices and what he’s looking forward to with another such session with the Bucs on Thursday @AcrisureStadium pic.twitter.com/T3kKLlTArJ
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 12, 2025
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers might not play the entire preseason
While Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is comfortable with not playing Rodgers in the preseason, that was speaking about the first game, but there is a likelihood he doesn't play at all. When asked if he would ever consider not playing his starting quarterback in the preseason, he teased that it could be the case.
“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.”
At 41 years old, Rodgers is looking to bounce back after a disappointing stint with the New York Jets, where he suffered an Achilles injury early into his first season with the team, as the second had not played up to par with his career. It remains to be seen if Rodgers plays in the preseason, but he'll make his team debut when Pittsburgh opens up the season, funny enough, against the Jets on Sunday, Sept. 7.
![Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) walks along the sideline with a head set during the first half of the first preseason game where the Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers Saturday Aug. 9, 2025, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]](https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Rodgers-during-preseason.jpg)
