The Pittsburgh Steelers soundly defeated the Green Bay Packers in the preseason opener, walking away with a 28-9 victory over Aaron Rodgers' former squad. During the win, there were plenty of standout performances — and concerning duds — that deserve recognition. From a standout cornerback and a rookie quarterback to embarrassing penalties early in the game, here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from the Steelers' preseason opener against the Packers. Winners Asante Samuel Jr. Samuel showed the Packers and the rest of the league what fans had become all too familiar with at training camp: he's a lockdown cornerback. Making exciting pass breakups whenever targeted, Samuel may force the Steelers to reconsider giving him a larger role during the 2026 season. Drew Allar Allar could not be stopped in the preseason opener, recording three total touchdowns while completing 10 of his 13 passes for 153 yards. The Steelers appear to have hit a home run with their third-round selection of Allar. Kaden Wetjen Wetjen silenced all the doubters in the preseason opener, proving he's as dynamic a receiver as a return specialist. Wetjen turned on the jets and took a short grab for a 74-yard gain, as well as caught a touchdown pass from Drew Allar. It was nothing short of an outstanding day for the rookie fourth-rounder. Germie Bernard Bernard proved early and often why the Steelers selected him in the second round, making huge plays thanks to both clean separation and yards-after-catch opportunities. His competition for the WR3 role, Roman Wilson, had a quiet night with only one catch for seven yards. And that's honestly still good news for Bernard moving forward. Robert Tonyan It was nothing short of an incredible revenge game for Tonyan, as the ex-Packers tight end recorded 61 receiving yards on four catches against his former squad. Responsible for the second-most receiving yards in the entire game, Tonyan proved that he still has plenty left in the tank at 32 years old.
Losers Mason Rudolph Rudolph didn't have a bad night, but he was definitely the least impressive of the three Steelers quarterbacks during the preseason opener. His 101.9 passer rating at first glance is great, but Howard and Allar still have him beat with 106.5 and 154.8 ratings, respectively. Special teams Pittsburgh's special teams unit was dreadful when it came to penalties, including roughing the snapper, holding, and unnecessary roughness within the first five times they took the field. The Steelers need to get it together and play clean football, regardless of whether it was a preseason game or not. Troy Fautanu Yikes. It was a terrible day for Fautanu. Without a doubt, it was a performance to forget, as Fautanu was responsible for multiple penalties and an ugly sack in his debut on the left side of the offensive line. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any training camp news and updates, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Biggest winners and losers from Steelers' preseason win over Packers