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SOURCE STEELERS: Pittsburgh Steelers Shake Up Depth Chart Night Before Preseason Opener

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The night before their preseason opener, head coach Mike Tomlin lit up the locker room with a last-minute shake-up to the depth chart — and Aaron Rodgers will also not play.

Mike Tomlin | Record, Age, NFL, Coach, & Facts | Britannica

Rodgers will sit out the preseason opener to stay fresh for the regular season. Mason Rudolph will lead the offense in the opening series, with Skylar Thompson in reserve. Rookie QB Will Howard remains sidelined due to a hand injury. On defense, veterans such as T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward will also rest, opening the door for younger players to get extended snaps.

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“Jobs aren’t given, they’re taken,” Tomlin emphasized. “If you want to be on the field, you have to take that opportunity yourself.”

Tomlin is using the preseason not only to preserve key starters but to push backups into the spotlight. The absence of Rodgers and other stars creates a clear stage for depth players to fight for roster spots.

Pittsburgh Steelers official depth chart.

This preseason marks a transitional phase for the Steelers’ quarterback room, and Tomlin’s depth chart shuffle underscores the team’s “earn it” mentality.

The team confirmed that the changes will affect only the first two series and are designed to both protect core starters and evaluate new talent under live-game conditions.

Bears Could Get Huge Boost to Pass Rush for ‘MNF’ vs. Commanders
Bears defensive end Austin Booker could return in Week 6. The Chicago Bears could receive a significant boost to their pass rush when they take on the Washington Commanders for Monday Night Football in Week 6. The Bears are now eligible to designate second-year defensive end Austin Booker for return from the injured reserve list after he missed the first four games of the season. Booker had shone in the preseason and seemed the likely choice to serve as the Bears‘ top rotational pass rusher behind veterans Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo coming into the 2025 season, but he suffered a knee injury in August that forced the team to place him on the short-term injured reserve list after the 53-man roster cutdown. Promoted Content Brain Specialist: Honey, The Plaque Destroyer (Watch This)   Brain Journal Researcher: Honey Method, Alzheimer's Natural Predator (See How)   Brain Journal Dementia Has Been Linked To A Common Habit. Do You Do It?   Brain Defender Dementia & Memory Loss Have Been Linked To This Habit. You Do It?   Brain Journal While the Bears have not laid out an expected return timeline for Booker, they will have the option of designating him for return to practice in Week 6 if they feel he has made enough progress in his injury recovery. Once the Bears designate him for return, they will have 21 days to activate him to the roster or else must leave him on IR for the year. The Bears could provide clues to Booker’s status when they hold their first practice of the week on Wednesday and issue their first injury report for Sunday’s prime-time date with the Commanders. They would need to activate Booker by Saturday afternoon at the latest for him to have a chance of suiting up for them on Monday Night Football. The Bears (2-2) will take on the Commanders (3-2) at 8:15 p.m. ET next Monday.