It’s a topic of conversation every season: Will Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers play in the preseason?
Since Matt LaFleur took over as head coach, Rodgers has yet to play a preseason snap. In 2019, there was a case to be made as Rodgers learned the ins and outs of LaFleur’s scheme, but the coach and quarterback opted against it. The preseason didn’t happen in 2020, and Rodgers managed an MVP year just fine without it. In 2021, it was more important to see what Jordan Love could do after the COVID-19-induced weirdness of 2020. The Packers got embarrassed in Week 1. But Rodgers managed another MVP year just fine afterward.
When you have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, especially coming off of back-to-back MVP seasons, he gets some benefit of the doubt and probably doesn’t need preseason reps. After all, preseason games typically feature vanilla offenses going against vanilla defenses with very few starters in the mix. There is little point in risking an injury in a game that doesn’t count.
However, this season offers a unique circumstance. For the first time in his career, Rodgers is entering Week 1 without an established WR1. Davante Adams is gone, and Rodgers only has significant experience throwing to Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard. Rodgers will need time to develop chemistry with Sammy Watkins, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure. He’ll also be behind a shifting offensive line thanks to an influx of new interior pieces and Elgton Jenkins likely starting the season on the PUP list. With all of this offensive uncertainty, could Rodgers see some playing time in the preseason?
Adjusting to life in the NFL is hard for any rookie. It’s even harder when you have a quarterback with high expectations like Rodgers. Rodgers is slow to build trust with new receivers and isn’t afraid to be hard on young receivers. He doesn’t hide his emotions when he’s frustrated. The more time Rodgers has to build chemistry with his new receivers, the quicker they can get past their growing pains.
Rodgers will also be playing behind an offensive line with few entrenched starters. David Bakhtiari is the only guarantee, and we still don’t officially know his status. Josh Myers is probably a safe bet at center. But both guard spots and right tackle are open competition. Thanks to injuries last year, we saw a line that struggled to play as a cohesive unit. It could benefit Rodgers to get extra experience playing behind the line as it develops.
But even though there are obvious benefits if Rodgers plays this preseason, he probably won’t. And he doesn’t need to.
Rodgers knows the offense has its work cut out for it, but he believes that can be a good thing. Training camp might be a rough time, but playing against the ascending Packers defense in practice should strengthen the rebuilding offense.
“It could be a long training camp for the offense,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show last week. “There could be some growing pains for the offense, which will be great for us. It’ll be nice to take our lumps from time to time. It’ll help us get better facing a really good defense like that.”
Rodgers thinks the best training the offense will get is against Green Bay’s defense, and it’s hard to argue against it. Preseason games aren’t known for their creative playcalling. You don’t want to give away your secrets in a meaningless game, and you don’t want to risk injuring your star players.
In practice, the coordinators will attempt all sorts of new tricks to see what works, and it’s a better environment for Rodgers to communicate with his receivers and linemen.
Rodgers and Adams would pick on Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes in training camp, and throwing the young corners into the fire right away helped them compete against the league’s best. Now, it’s the defense’s turn to pay it back and make life difficult for Watson, Doubs, and Toure. Alexander is streets ahead of the corners the young receivers will face in preseason games, and those reps will matter a lot more.
Rodgers also sitting out the preseason is good for Jordan Love and the Packers’ front office. Green Bay still isn’t sure what they have in Love, and Love needs every snap he can get. If Love plays well in the preseason, it could lead to the Packers trading him to a QB-needy team and reclaiming some of the draft capital they spent on him. Or he could play well enough for the Packers to feel comfortable keeping him as a backup and potential starter.
So while there is a case to be made for Rodgers to play in the preseason, he probably won’t, and he doesn’t need to. Rodgers is an elite player who doesn’t need the extra reps, and he’ll gain more from actual practices. The risk of Rodgers getting injured in the preseason and derailing the entire season outweigh the potential gains.
