The Pittsburgh Steelers are currently gearing up for the NFL season by taking part in training camp ahead of this week's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The big story of the offseason for the Steelers was the signing of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is looking to prove he still has something left in the tank despite a rough year with the New York Jets in 2024.
At the age of 41, not many are expecting Rodgers to see the field during the Steelers' preseason slate.
However, the former league MVP didn't completely shut the door on that possibility during a recent media availability.
“Aaron Rodgers said he does not believe it’s in the plan for him to play in Jacksonville, but he said he’ll have that conversation with Mike Tomlin soon. He said if Tomlin wants him to play he’ll play,” reported Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on X, formerly Twitter.
The Jaguars vs Steelers contest is slated for Saturday evening on the road.
Is Aaron Rodgers still productive?
As previously mentioned, Aaron Rodgers didn't provide a ton to be optimistic about last year during his tenure with the New York Jets. While Rodgers still has relatively good arm strength and a plethora of experience, he's not nearly as mobile as he was during his prime with the Green Bay Packers, and injuries are always a concern at this point, especially considering the torn Achilles he suffered during his first game with the Jets in 2023.
The Steelers have made a point of stockpiling as much veteran talent as possible this season, including trading for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey and bringing in former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf.
It remains to be seen whether all of these moves will be enough to vault the Steelers back into legitimate contention in the AFC.
If things don't go according to plan, it's not off the table that the Steelers could start considering life after the Mike Tomlin era, despite the consistency with which his teams perform each year.
The Steelers' regular season will get underway against Rodgers' former team, the Jets, on September 7.
