If Mike McCarthy wants Aaron Rodgers to play in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first two preseason games of the summer, the 42-year-old won’t refuse.
Rodgers told The Athletic over the weekend that he’s fine with McCarthy’s request to play in the exhibition games which happen to be against his former teams, the Packers and New York Jets.
McCarthy clarified his position on Monday, and made it known there is no line in the sand.
“Trust me, I have a lot of ideas,” McCarthy said. ” … We have plans, but being a healthy system, let’s see what happens. A lot can happen between now and (August 13).
“He’d like to play. I would like to see him play. But we won’t make a decision until we get all the way up to it because there’s more that goes into that than having one player play. It’s the culmination of players.”
Rodgers, who last played in a preseason game in 2023, told The Athletic that he told McCarthy, “if you want me to play, I’ll play,'” but continued, “I’m not saying I want to do it. But if he wants me to, I will.”
Rodgers is back for his second season as the Steelers’ starter with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and rookie third-round pick Drew Allar vying for spots behind him. It’s also the second stint for Rodgers as McCarthy’s quarterback. They were paired with the Packers from 2006-18, including when the franchise won Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers.
“Just to be able to take this final lap with him, it’s awesome,” McCarthy said of reuniting with Rodgers, who guaranteed the 2026 season will be his last. “You always want to do a great job, but now to do it with him in his last chapter, it’s special.”
