Aaron Rodgers is inactive but Jordan Love plays briefly as Packers face Steelers in preseason

In a matchup that would have been more fitting at Lambeau Field, former quarterback Aaron Rodgers faced off against the Green Bay Packers in Pittsburgh, but the future Hall of Famer did not see the field.

The Packers face the Steelers in a meaningless preseason game to open the 2026-27 campaign on Thursday.

Most prominent players have been listed inactive for the game, but Packers quarterback Jordan Love started the affair.

During his one-and-only drive, Love found receiver Jayden Reed for 19 yards across the middle for the standout play of his reps. With Josh Jacobs out, running back Marshawn Lloyd received the carries.

Love and the Packers failed to convert on third down twice in the opening drive. First from the Pittsburgh 40 yard line leading to rookie kicker Trey Smack attempting and converting a 58 yard field goal. But following a penalty on the Steelers, the Packers got a new set of downs.

The Packers then failed to convert third down from the Pittsburgh 19 and Smack converted a 37 yard field goal. 

Smack has struggled to be consistent at training camp. Green Bay selected him in the sixth round out of Florida.

Love finished the day 3-for-5 and 18 yards passing. He was replaced by Tyrod Taylor after the first drive. 

Most starters are out for the Steelers, but the Green Bay defense has shined this camp and looked good to open Thursday’s game. The Packers hired Jonathan Gannon, former Arizona Cardinals head coach, as their defensive coordinator after Jeff Hafley departed to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Rodgers addressed playing his former team at a virtual news conference earlier this week, saying he hoped the game was at Lambeau. 

“100%, 100%,” Rodgers told Packers reporters Wednesday during a Zoom call, according to ESPN. “When I heard it was possible to play both my former teams, I was really hoping this one was going to be in Green Bay, not just to get back at Lambeau one more time, but to head out to Chives [restaurant] for a dinner and maybe head out to Green Bay Country Club for a quick nine or something. I was really hoping it was going to be in Green Bay for a lot of reasons.

“It would have been strange, being in that [visitors] locker room and stuff, but I would have found my way over, like many former players have over the years … and see some of the guys and see some of the trainers and equipment staff and all the people I really care about that still work there. Yeah, I was definitely bummed out that we weren’t in Lambeau for this one.”

The 42-year-old said this is his final season in the NFL. He’s a shoo-in for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Packers Hall of Fame, and to have his No.12 retired. 

“Well, there first has to be an invite back,” Rodgers said. “We’ll see about that, but yeah, I’m always going to have such a strong tie to Green Bay and the organization. If that comes to fruition, that could be a cool deal.”

Throughout the 20-minute session, Rodgers spoke fondly about both the city of Green Bay and the Packers organization.

Asked what he will miss the most when he retires, Rodgers said: “Definitely the people I got to do it with.”

“That’s what this game’s all about,” Rodgers added. “It’s about the relationships, and I’m just most thankful for all the men and women, you know, who’ve been in my life through this game over the years. So many great people in Green Bay, in the entire organization, top to bottom. You know, just salt of the earth type of people. … But the thing that actually lasts the longest is those people that impact your life, and there’s been a lot of those, a lot especially in Green Bay, it had a huge impact on my life. So I think about those people a lot.”