Aaron Rodgers ‘most likely’ won’t play in preseason
Fans are going to have to wait a little bit longer to see Aaron Rodgers under center for the Green Bay Packers.
Coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Tuesday morning that the veteran quarterback would “most likely not” play in the preseason, which gets underway Saturday against Houston.
“Luckily for us we’ve got a lot of veterans that we already know what they can do,” LaFleur said. “That’s why you feel a little more comfortable about not having to play some of those guys in the preseason games, not expose them to injury.”
LaFleur admits keeping guys out of preseason games puts more of an onus on taking advantage of practice reps for those veterans.
“There’s always a balance there I think you’re trying to strike in terms of making sure that they are competing to be their best but at the same time not putting them at risk,” LaFleur said.
Rodgers has been on a bit of pitch count through the first couple weeks of training camp allowing backup Jordan Love to get a healthy number of snaps after taking almost all of the first-team reps during the offseason program. But after COVID-19 wiped away preseason games last year, LaFleur is looking forward to seeing Love and the rest of the young players in real action to help them build out the roster.
“I think it’s going to really help us and our ability to evaluate those guys,” LaFleur said. “Generally, when you go into camp you have a pretty good indication of who your top 45 guys are. But just when you start getting towards the final few to be able to go out and see them in live action is going to make that process much easier for all of us.”
LaFleur said Love will play a majority of the game against the Texans, with third-string quarterback Kurt Benkert finishing it up.