Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is entering his 22nd season in the National Football League. Although the veteran QB didn’t specifically say that he doesn’t want to play in the preseason, he certainly made it seem that way during his press conference on Monday.
“Oh, it’s preseason, it’s not real football,” Rodgers said. “If I do great, if I don’t great.”
Rodgers said those words with a big shrug and long pause after saying “if I don’t.” While Rodgers seems to be trending toward not playing
on Thursday for the team’s preseason opener against the very team that drafted him, the Green Bay Packers, he seems excited to help out the Steelers’ young quarterbacks during the game on the headset.
“I like to be on the headset to calm everybody down,” Rodgers said. “Usually the first game is a little hectic on the headset. I like to be the voice of reason, the occasional dad joke or one-liner. Just keep everyone settled in a little bit.”
Although Rodgers said the preseason isn’t “real football,” he seems to understand that a lot is riding on this game for his teammates at the position. This will be the first preseason game for Will Howard, who is in the midst of a quarterback battle with 31-year-old veteran Mason Rudolph. While neither Rudolph or Howard has been able to separate themselves thus far in camp, this game could create a clear leader for the backup quarterback position.
For rookie third-round pick Drew Allar, it’s less about outplaying Rudolph and Howard and more about showing progress through improved footwork and decision-making. Allar has shown flashes throughout camp, and could provide some exciting moments for Steelers fans on Thursday night.
Although he won’t be playing, Rodgers will be on the headset and be willing to help any way he can, even with a dad joke.
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