You’ve seen the chatter around the NFL this week: most teams are keeping their veteran quarterbacks on the sidelines during preseason games, but Pittsburgh’s decision to sit Aaron Rodgers isn’t that unusual. Guys like Lamar Jackson (who hasn’t played in a preseason game since 2021), Jared Goff (who the Lions are resting), and Josh Allen (who became the first Bills QB to sit out an entire preseason) are all doing the same. What’s different about the Steelers is that this is the first time since 2004 that a healthy Pittsburgh starter has skipped every single preseason game, breaking a two-decade tradition in the Steel City.

Since Ben Roethlisberger’s 2004 rookie year, every Steelers starter, from Roethlisberger to Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett, has played in preseason games to get their work in. So, when Chris Canty appeared on First Take, he didn’t mince words about Steelerers’ newest QB: “I don’t believe in the quarterback…As players get older they don’t get healthier so I don’t understand why everybody is buying into the Aaron Rodgers hoax.” Canty says Rodgers’ recent regression can’t be attributed to a lucky bounce, citing his injury history and his time with the Jets, where New York won two more games with backup combinations of Trevor Siemian, Tim Boyle, and Zach Wilson than they did with Rodgers all 17 starts in 2024.

Chris Canty’s doubts about Rodgers aren’t just talk. They’re based on the numbers. In 2024 with the Jets, Rodgers won 5 games as a starter, threw 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, and had a 55.9 passer rating in clutch situations (24th among qualifying QBs). In 2023, he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on his 4th play of the season. And in 2024, he had multiple injury issues throughout the year, including hamstring, knee, and ankle problems that he reportedly refused to have scanned. All of which makes you wonder if, at 41, Rodgers can suddenly turn it around for a Steelers team, then that needs a spark.

Digging deeper, Canty points to Pittsburgh’s porous pass protection (49 sacks last season) and the absence of key playmakers like Najee Harris, who had over 1,326 scrimmage yards in 2024 before leaving the Steelers and signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. “Having experience means nothing if you physically can’t go out there and do the job,” Canty said, questioning if Aaron Rodgers can raise the floor of a team that can’t hold up in the trenches.

Now, Canty’s setting the stage for a big Week 1 when Aaron Rodgers faces his former team, the New York Jets, at MetLife Stadium. The Jets defense will be looking for revenge, and with their passionate fans behind them, they’ll be all over Rodgers. Now, the question is, how are the Steelers going to keep their new franchise QB fresh?

Aaron Rodgers’ preseason absence and what it means

Rodgers has been skipping most preseason games since his Packers days, when coaches prioritized his health. That continued with the Jets, so this is just business as usual for Rodgers in his late career. In Green Bay, he’d play a few snaps or sit out entirely, with HC Matt LaFleur keeping him out in 2019, 2021, and 2022. The Packers sat Rodgers and many other established starters during those preseasons, and the team struggled in their regular season openers, losing 38-3 to the Saints in 2021 and 23-7 to the Vikings in 2022. So this isn’t an unusual move for the Steelers. Instead, it’s just more of the same for Rodgers in his late career.

In the joint practices against Tampa Bay, he tested protections and timing with receivers without having to go through full game scenarios. But Chris Canty isn’t afraid to share his concerns. “I think we’re looking at Mike Tomlin’s first losing season in 19 years of being a head coach in Pittsburgh.” That puts a big shadow over Rodgers’ debut and Tomlin’s tenure, so the stakes are high for the Steelers this season.

Now that the gloves are off, all eyes are on Week 1. Will Aaron Rodgers’ rest translate to sharp throws and steady leadership? Or will he be out of sync with the new offense after not playing in the preseason? Either way, this is what the Steelers are hoping for: to preserve Rodgers’ health and finally break the playoff drought.