Not ‘real football,’ Aaron Rodgers to sit preseason with most Steelers’ starters

Aaron Rodgers is out for the Steelers this week, all according to the plan in Pittsburgh, with Mason Rudolph slated to start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday.
Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf, outside linebacker T.J. Watt and defensive end Cam Heyward are among the first-team stars who’ll be in street clothes for the Steelers’ second game of the preseason.
Rudolph rejoined the Steelers after one season with the Tennessee Titans and spent most of the offseason operating the starting offense.
Rodgers, who was released by the New York Jets, said he was willing to play if the coaches prefer. But head coach Mike Tomlin said earlier in camp he was not planning to use Rodgers because of his “21 years (experience) and cumulative snap total” in his career.
“If (Tomlin) wants me to play, I’ll play. If not, then I won’t,” Rodgers said. “Preseason football is not necessarily real football, because defenses don’t really do a lot.”
Rodgers, 41, did not play last preseason with the Jets. He completed 5 of 8 passes in his first preseason in New York (2023), his only preseason action since he completed 2 of 4 passes with one TD for the Packers in the 2018 exhibition stretch.
The Steelers beat Jacksonville 31-25 in their preseason opener last week and used Skylar Thompson in relief of Rudolph with Rodgers sporting a jacket and headset on the sideline.
Thompson threw three touchdown passes and completed 20 of 28 attempts for 233 yards.