Aaron Rodgers doesn’t see much point in playing preseason games.
"It's preseason," the quarterback said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It's not real football. So if I do, great. If not, great."
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy suggested to Rodgers earlier in camp that he could play upwards of 30 or 40 plays during preseason action. The more Rodgers has been asked about the possibility of playing Thursday against the Green Bay Packers, the clearer it’s become that entering Year 22, it’d be a waste of everyone’s time.
“Preseason's a lot different. Teams don't run anything anymore. They just really don’t,” Rodgers said. “Even joint practices. The first year we were doing them, it was fun because you got to play a team that wasn't going to play how they played in the preseason. They were going to show you a lot of different things they were working on. It was like a real day at camp.
“But as that got on, it just stopped being like that. It just turned into fights, and nobody showed anything. I think those are a waste of a day. 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.”
Asked directly if there is any advantage to him participating Thursday against his former team, Rodgers responded: “I don’t think so.”
Despite Rodgers' obvious protestations, McCarthy has not taken the veteran playing off the table. The coach noted on Tuesday that he plans to use his quarterbacks in three groupings: the starter playing a series or two, his replacement finishing the first half and the third quarterback playing the entire second half.
Given the need for youngsters Will Howard and Drew Allar to play extensively in preseason action, Rodgers taking up reps seems counterproductive, particularly given the veteran’s stance on the subject. Instead, Rodgers would prefer to help nurse the first- and second-year QBs through the process.
“I like to be on the headset and calm everybody down,” Rodgers said. “Usually the first game, it's a little hectic on the headset, so I like to be the voice of reason — an occasional dad joke or one-liner, just keep everybody settled in a little bit.”
Source: www.nfl.com — Read the original article
Leave a Comment