Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is set to enter his 22nd NFL season, but even he may benefit from playing in the preseason.
Rodgers spoke to The Athletic’s Michael Silver for a story published on Monday. The article detailed how the 42-year-old QB is reconciling with new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, whom he played for in 13 of his 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Their relationship reportedly soured before the team fired the Super Bowl-winning coach in 2018, but McCarthy indicated they’ve moved past those differences after Pittsburgh hired him in January.
As part of those efforts, Silver shared that McCarthy asked Rodgers to play in Pittsburgh’s first two preseason games against the Packers (Aug. 13) and New York Jets (Aug. 21). The QB is willing to fulfill the coach’s request.
Aaron Rodgers talks potential preseason plans
“He wants me out there for 30 to 40 plays,” Rodgers told Silver (h/t Brogan Noey of Steeler Nation). “I said, ‘Mike, if you want me to play, I’ll play.’ I’m not saying I want to do it. But if he wants me to, I will.”
McCarthy spoke more about his preseason plans for Rodgers during his Monday news conference. The coach noted he wants the four-time league MVP to play, but he added that he hasn’t solidified those plans.
