This is smart.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters from training camp that QB Aaron Rodgers is on a "rep count."
Why? Because Rodgers is 42 years old. He's the oldest active starting QB in the NFL.
"Aaron's 42 years old," McCarthy said. "We're going to be smart with a rep count. We'll have him on a rep count this first week. I think that's clearly the right way to go. So there will be plenty of reps for the other three. The development of all those guys is important. We do recognize 7-on-7 and team drills are the best reps for those guys. But there's a lot of drill work. There's a lot of valuable film that is part of this process. So I feel very confident that we'll give all four of those guys a chance to make this team."
One of the top quarterbacks in NFL history, Rodgers put up 3,322 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions last season. The future Hall of Famer completed 65.7% of his passes.
The Steelers won the AFC North last season but lost to the Houston Texans at home in the wild-card round of the 2026 playoffs.
Rodgers has been in the NFL since 2005. He has played for the Green Packers, New York Jets and Steelers and has 527 career passing touchdowns and 66,274 career passing yards in the regular season.
A four-time MVP, Rodgers hasn't won a playoff game since the 2020 season, while the Steelers haven't won a postseason game since the 2016 season.
It will be intriguing to see how Rodgers and Co. perform in 2026.
McCarthy and Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers as members of the Packers. Rodgers, who will retire from the NFL after next season, called it a "full circle" moment to play for McCarthy again.
"Honestly, sitting in the first 8 o'clock meeting on Monday took me back to being a 22-year-old kid sitting in Green Bay," Rodgers said. "Listening to Mike's first meeting in 2006. It's fun. I mean, it's like 'pinch me' moments. It's been happening the last few days, getting to sit next to [offensive line coach] James Campen in the meetings is fun. [Assistant offensive line coach] Jahri Evans was a teammate of mine. He's on his staff now as a Hall of Famer -- should be a Hall of Famer. That's pretty cool too. A lot of connections."
The Steelers open the 2026 season against the Atlanta Falcons.
