Ben Roethlisberger isn’t sold on Aaron Rodgers getting preseason reps, but his objection isn’t really about protecting Rodgers. His bigger concern is what those snaps might mean for younger quarterbacks like Will Howard and Drew Allar.
Roethlisberger’s point was that Rodgers is in his final season, so the Steelers need to know what they have lined up for next year. That logic makes sense.
Still, the question lingers: if Big Ben were in Rodgers’ shoes, would he have willingly stepped aside so younger passers could work through the preseason? Dan Patrick raised that exact point this morning.
My view is simpler: let Rodgers take some snaps, shake off the rust, and move toward the opener with some rhythm. If he gets hurt, how different does the season really look?
Six or seven wins with Mason Rudolph, or 10 wins and a first-round exit? Let it play out.
Drew Allar is another quarterback drawing attention, and the work he has put in is hard to ignore. His mechanics from his final season at Penn State to what he’s showing now in camp look noticeably different.
The footwork is cleaner and more efficient, and the arm angle has tightened up too, with less wasted motion. Allar’s physical tools were never the issue for me.
The part that made me pause was the mental side, the processing. Even there, camp has offered reasons for optimism.
Sure, it’s still camp, but that’s enough for now.
There’s also a new episode of the SCB Steelers Podcast presented by DEK Roofing Inc coming Thursday night at 10pmET. Episode 484 will dig into camp, both the highs and the lows, while also starting to touch on some early roster moves.
Max Iheanachor had another strong day as a first-round pick. Anytime you can stymie T.J.
Watt, you’re doing something right. I’m not ready to go overboard with praise, but there’s no denying he’s off to a promising start.
He’ll be one of the players I’m watching closely in the first preseason game.
For readers who follow Western Pennsylvania high school football, Ian is back with his full WPIAL coverage. That includes previews for all of the conferences, game of the week pieces, updated standings, playoff scenarios and more.
Around the league, Zay Flowers and the Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a four-year, $140 million extension with more than $100 million guaranteed. That puts him in lock-step with Justin Jefferson.
He still trails Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ja’Marr Chase and Drake London. Flowers is a good receiver, but I don’t see him in that top tier.
The market is the market, though.
A few other notes: rookie Riley Nowakowski is finally getting a chance to show what he can do now that the pads are on, and the offense has shifted from being largely in 11-personnel to showing more 21-personnel since that change. Carson Beck and Kenny Pickett are set to face off in the Hall of Fame Game tomorrow night.
The Falcons, who open the season against the Steelers, lost EDGE rusher Jalon Walker to a torn ACL. LIV golf appears to be headed for bankruptcy, which is odd given the resources behind it.
Matt Bowyer, the bookie tied to Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter, has a pretty wild story connected to that situation. DeShon Elliott is active and practicing every day, but he still hasn’t taken part in any 11-on-11 work.
And with the primaries in my home state wrapped up, there’s at least a temporary break from the terrible campaign ads.
One final note: publishing 5,000 articles for this website may or may not be a big deal to anyone else, but it is to me. This site started as an outlet, and in a lot of ways it still is.
I don’t take the opportunities it’s given me for granted, and I especially don’t take for granted the people who take the time to read what I write. Thank you!
In Other News...
Steelers May Be Flirting With An Aaron Rodgers Risk Fans Hate
Aaron Rodgers place with the Steelers already brings its own spotlight, and the early chatter around his workload is adding another layer to watch. With a veteran quarterback of his stature, every snap is weighed a little differently, especially in the preseason, where the upside of getting him more comfortable with a new team has to be balanced against what Pittsburgh stands to lose if anything goes wrong.
McCarthy has reportedly been nudging Rodgers toward preseason appearances against the Jets and Packers, a suggestion that speaks to the value of live reps and chemistry-building. But for Steelers fans, the uneasy part is obvious: a quarterback with Rodgers resume does not need much proving, and there is real concern about exposing him to unnecessary hits before the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Rodgers Is Giving Steelers Fans A Dangerous Reminder
Aaron Rodgers kept turning heads on the seventh day of training camp, looking sharp with accurate throws and a noticeable edge to his confidence as the Steelers worked through another summer practice. On a day when Jack Sawyer flashed as a run defender and Derrick Harmon added help up front, Rodgers was the most familiar kind of reminder for Pittsburgh: when he is on, the offense can look organized, decisive and a step ahead of the defense.
For a fan base still trying to sort out what this group really is, that matters because Rodgers has a way of changing the mood of a practice just by stacking clean reps. It also sharpened the contrast around him, with Drew Allar struggling with his accuracy and timing and Jaquan Brisker letting multiple interception chances slip away over back-to-back practices, a small but telling stretch that left Rodgers steadiness standing out even more. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Pickett Just Gave Steelers Fans Another Reason To Move On
Kenny Picketts journey since leaving Pittsburgh has become a reminder of how quickly a quarterbacks career can change. The former Steelers first-round pick has already been on four different teams in the past two years, with only three starts to show for it, and he is now trying to carve out a backup role with the Carolina Panthers. His latest chance came in the Hall of Fame preseason game, where he completed eight of 11 passes and took one sack.
Even in a setting designed to give veterans and hopefuls a fresh start, Pickett did not separate himself from the pack. The performance put him in the middle of a crowded quarterback conversation in Carolina, while rookie Hayes King drew more attention with a much louder outing. For Steelers fans who have long wondered whether moving on was the right call, Picketts latest stop offered another reason to keep looking ahead. [Read more 🡒]