The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Green Bay Packers in their preseason opener Aug. 13 at Acrisure Stadium. The game will mark Mike McCarthy’s debut as the coach of his hometown team. Key lineup decisions remain up in the air, though. At least externally. All eyes will be on how the quarterback mix shakes out between Aaron Rodgers and his backups. The latter group includes veteran Mason Rudolph; second-year player Will Howard, who lost his preseason to injury in 2025; and rookie Drew Allar, on who GM Omar Khan used a third-round draft pick back in April. Required Reading: Aaron Rodgers has more to say on Fauci, ESPN, family and football | Exclusive
Is Aaron Rodgers playing vs. Packers? McCarthy said Tuesday that Rodgers “prefers to play,” but later in the day, Rodgers told reporters that the preseason is not "real football," casting doubt on the notion that he has anything to gain by appearing. "It’s preseason, it’s not real football," Rodgers said. "If I do, great. If not, great." Rodgers did not play in any preseason games last year as he adjusted to a new system under then-coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He’d figure to need even less work as he transitions back to working with his former coach from his Green Bay days. Steelers QB depth chart Rodgers topped the team’s initial training camp depth chart last week. He was followed by Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar, in that order. All three of the backups are expected to see at least some reps. Howard and Allar appear set to make debuts long awaited by fans curious to see if there’s a future franchise QB already on the roster. Steelers preseason schedule
Aug. 13 vs. Green Bay Packers, Acrisure Stadium, 7 p.m. ET Aug. 21 vs. New York Jets, Acrisure Stadium, 7 p.m. ET Aug. 27 at Buffalo Bills, Highmark Stadium, 7 p.m. ET
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is Aaron Rodgers playing vs Packers? Steelers QB's status for preseason opener