Aaron Rodgers hasn’t appeared in a preseason game since 2023. But last week, he gave The Athletic‘s Michael Silver a glimpse into Mike McCarthy’s plans for his return. The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach wants Rodgers to take 30 or 40 snaps against the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets: two teams from the quarterback’s past.

Even with those familiar opponents on the other side, Rodgers didn’t sound particularly eager to get back on the field in the preseason. He’d do it for McCarthy, but there is a reason why the veteran quarterback isn’t excited.

“Preseason’s a lot different,” Rodgers said, via Steelers reporter Chris Adamski. “Teams don’t run anything anymore, they just really don’t.

“And I think preseason football is good to see guys with the pads on, under the lights, how they react to the nerves. But it’s not real regular season football.”

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If his head coach wants him to play, Rodgers will. The quarterback confirmed it earlier this month, but why the coach wants his veteran quarterback to play in the preseason isn’t entirely known. Surely, there is a method to McCarthy’s madness.

Here’s the thing: On one hand, this could be Aaron Rodgers’ chance to sync with the new roster – if McCarthy plays the first team in the preseason. The team has two new running backs they’d like to try out – veteran RB Rico Dowdle and Eli Heidenreich, the 7th-round draft pick from this year’s draft.

The wide receiver room has also seen a major revamp and could use the competitive snaps with Rodgers. But at this juncture, most teams would rather not risk their QB1’s health, conserving it instead for the grueling demands of the regular season. Either way, Mike McCarthy has a decision to make, and his veteran quarterback has already made it clear where he stands.

The coach confirmed he’d like to see Rodgers play in the preseason, but the ultimate decision will depend on a lot of logistics, plans, availability, and many things going correctly. A lot can happen between now and the first preseason game.

“We have plans, but being a healthy system, let’s see what happens,” McCarthy said earlier this month. “There’s more that goes into that than just having one player play. It’s a combination of players.”

So, while a decision will be made eventually, Rodgers also made his thoughts on joint practices known.

Aaron Rodgers would do away with joint practices if McCarthy hadn’t

As per Chris Adamski, Rodgers said:

“Even joint practices, I mean, the first year we were doing them, it was fun. You got to play a team that wasn’t gonna play how they’re playing in the preseason. They’re gonna show you a lot of different things they’re working on. It was like a real day at camp.

“But as that got on, it just stopped being like that, just turned into fights. And nobody showed anything because somebody’s brother is on the staff and they might show them the film and blah, blah, blah. So, I think those are a waste of a day.”

The veteran quarterback isn’t wrong. Joint practice sessions do become chippy. Take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets practice session on Tuesday as an example. As many as four scuffles took place. Players shoved and punched each other while others defended their respective teammates.

Then, let us not forget the 49ers and Tennessee Titans joint practice session on Tuesday. Two San Francisco players were removed from the session for getting involved in fights.

That said, Rodgers can count at least one thing as a win. The Steelers are among just four NFL teams that won’t hold a joint practice session this year, sparing him from another demanding preseason test. And for that bit of good fortune, Rodgers can thank his head coach.

McCarthy’s time with the Packers was also marked by the absence of joint practice sessions, and it appears he has carried that same philosophy with him to Pittsburgh.

So, whether Rodgers will actually suit up in the preseason remains unknown. But while other NFL teams are gearing up for the intensity of joint practices, at least the Steelers quarterback won’t have to go through that particular grind. Rodgers should count that as a win!