Rodgers saw zero preseason action last year under Mike Tomlin. The last time he took a preseason snap was in 2023 — two series in the Jets’ preseason finale. The last time he took substantial preseason snaps was in 2018, eight seasons ago, in Green Bay.
It’s interesting for McCarthy to want his quadragenarian quarterback to take up a significant chunk of preseason reps. The familiarity between McCarthy and his former quarterback was one of the selling points of the one-year coupling. Allowing Rodgers to dip his toe in the water is one thing, but 30 to 40 plays is something different.
The news is also curious given the Steelers’ backup quarterback questions, particularly youngsters Will Howard, who took zero game snaps last season, and rookie Drew Allar battling for roster positioning. How the preseason snaps are divvied up could be telling as to who has the inside track behind Rodgers.