Are the Steelers wrong to bench Rodgers, Metcalf for preseason finale?

Yahoo

16 hours ago

Yahoo Sports host Andrew Siciliano, senior NFL writer Frank Schwab and senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson discuss Pittsburgh's decision to not play their new quarterback-wide receiver duo in the team's final warmup contest against the Panthers. Hear the full conversation on 'Inside Coverage' - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Mike Tomlin made the announcement today that when the Steelers go to Carolina, four of his biggest names will not play.
Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, TJ Watt, and Cam Hayward.
Not exactly surprising, but it means, Charles, as you pointed out on our text thread, that Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf will throw in a competitive period against someone other than teammates for the very first time together, week one, when they face the Jets.
So that will be their dress rehearsal for the big premiere.
It'll all be the same game.
Is that not ideal?
Are you telling me?
Are you suggesting, are you suggesting maybe you would want a little more practice time between your, your number one wide receiver and the, you know, the quarterback you waited the entire offseason to get him into the building and finally acclimate with players.
Yeah, it's a little, a little problematic, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if there is a slow start for, uh, the offense with, with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Now, I think it's a little overrated.
I mean, we act like because Aaron Rodgers, we act like because Aaron Rodgers didn't play the preseason that these guys haven't been doing anything.
Like they're just gonna meet in New York, like, hey, I'm DK, I'm They practice every day.
Like you're gonna be OK, you play, you play them, you're gonna be killing them.
You, you think it's gonna take October.
OK, so they play up one series, two series.
Aaron Rodgers throws well to DK Metcalf three times, which would kind of be a lot for two series, and that, oh, they're humming, they're ready to go against the Jets, practicing the wholethat when, when the Jets traded for Devonte Adams.
What did we hear for the first couple weeks?
And it was two players who had known each other forever, played together forever, you know, I mean, they were basically brothers from another mother, and all we heard was, oh, they're still kind of getting the kinks worked out.
They're still, oh, it's still, you know, they're not quite there yet, but they're gonna get there.
And then it took them until what?
Like the last month of the season before they really clicked together as players, so you can't sit there and tell me that it doesn't matter with DK Metcalf, but it most definitely mattered with the three targets in the preseason.
You think three targets in the preseason matter that much.
I think anything you can do in live action matters, and I agree with you.
I am also the guy who has done Rams preseason games for 14 years.
The last time that Sean McVay firmly believed that you shouldn't put your big-name players at risk in the preseason, do it in a joint practice.
I don't need to see you in the preseason, but I'm with you.
Charles, you can wonder aloud.
If that's going to affect your early season sloppiness and chemistry.
Don't worry, they only opened the season at the Jets against Justin Fields, the quarterback who, for all intents and purposes, he's replacing.
And oh yeah, by the way, the Jets are in the building where Aaron Rodgers has played his last two years.
So nothing in any way whatsoever will get blown out of proportion week one, with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, if for some reason, the Steelers don't look up to form.
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