Packers kick off preseason in Pittsburgh tonight

GREEN BAY, Wis., (WLAX, WEUX) - Jordan Love said it best after the Packers Family Night practice Friday night in Lambeau Field:  “We’re ready to hit someone else.” Yes, the grind of training camp and facing your own teammates in drills and scrimmages wears on all NFL players and coaches come mid-August.  But tonight, the Packers get hit someone from another team as Green Bay hits the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers and former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy in their preseason opener at Acrisure Stadium.  The NFL Network is televising this “reunion” contest nationally, though it’s highly unlikely either Rodgers or Love will take more than a series or two of snaps under center.  If that.  Preseason games are usually where coaches evaluate younger players battling for roster spots and rest veterans to avoid injuries.  But there will no doubt be plenty of banter and hugs in pregame warm-ups between Rodgers and Love and Green Bay coaches/staff members. When the NFL preseason schedule was announced, Rodgers had hoped it would be played in Green Bay so he could return to Lambeau Field.  "When I heard it was possible to play both my former teams, I was really hoping this one was going to be in Green Bay, not just to get back at Lambeau one more time, but to head out to Chives (restaurant) for a dinner and maybe head out to Green Bay Country Club for a quick nine or something,” Rodgers said in zoom press conference on Wednesday.  “I was really hoping it was going to be in Green Bay for a lot of reasons.” "It would have been strange, being in that (visiting team’s ) locker room and stuff, but I would have found my way over, like many former players have over the years. . .  and see some of the guys and see some of the trainers and equipment staff and all the people I really care about that still work there. Yeah, I was definitely bummed out that we weren't in Lambeau for this one." The Packers have many question marks on their rosters, from establishing starters on offense and defense and special teams, but the main goal is to leave Pittsburgh with no injuries.   Right guard, corner back, nose tackle starting positions are up for grabs and it will be rookie kicker Trey Smack and Brandon Cisse’s first opportunity to shine in a Packers uniform.  Stay tuned.  More tomorrow. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX2548 & WIProud.