The Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers will face off as part of the Week 1 preseason action, as football begins to step back into the center stage of our lives.
Every team has a different philosophy for the management of their starters in the preseason, but the expectations for both sides seems to be that most of the key names will see some limited chances on the field. There are plenty of positional battles to note deeper down the depth charts, with this being a crucial chance for all parties involved. While these battles tend to lead the headlines of the preseason matchups, the goal is still to win football games, and both sides will look to kick off their 2026 NFL season on the right foot.
Looking at the odds for the preseason matchup, the Packers enter as narrow 1.5-point favorites and hold -125 odds of winning outright on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Steelers hold +105 odds of pulling off the upset, with the game total set at 39.5 points.
Packers at Steelers prediction, pick
Green Bay Packers preview
The Green Bay Packers are coming off a 9-7-1 record last season, which concluded in a 31-27 opening round playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. Green Bay will return with the bulk of its core intact and be eager to take a further step this season. This preseason matchup will mark our first look at this 2026 roster against another opponent.
While concerns over him sustaining a thumb injury in last year’s preseason opener may linger, Jordan Love is expected to take the field in this matchup. The only caveat is that the Packers are already dealing with a few injuries to the offensive line. Head coach Matt LaFleur made it clear to the media he has the right to change his mind regarding Love’s availability, and he has previously stated he would not play his starting quarterback if multiple offensive lineman are out. Keep an eye on the final injury reports leading up to the game, but the bulk of the starters are expected to take the field in this preseason opener.
Once Love is removed from the game, there are still some intriguing names to note. Tyrod Taylor is officially listed as the backup quarterback on the Packers’ depth chart and will look to settle in with his new team. But there is an understanding of who the journeyman is as a quarterback at this stage of his career. Kyle McCord and Kyron Drones will also get plenty of opportunities as well. Following an impressive final collegiate season at Syracuse, McCord spent his rookie season on the Eagles’ practice squad and signed with the Packers before this season. Drones joined the Green Bay roster as an undrafted free agent after opening some eyes across his time at Virginia Tech. Both will be looking to secure a place on this Packers roster and in the NFL moving forward.
Beyond the quarterback position, the Packers have plenty of other positional battles underway. The right guard position remains up for grabs, the secondary hierarchy is not set in stone, and the running back pecking order is still not clear behind Josh Jacobs. Green Bay has also largely approached the Packers’ wide receiver production by committee, but it lost Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks this offseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers preview
The Steelers have yet to announce their starting quarterback for this matchup, but Aaron Rodgers has been open in his comments that preseason does not matter. The 42-year-old announced his return to the Steelers, and head coach Mike McCarthy has not ruled out Rodgers taking preseason snaps. McCarthy did elaborate that the plan will be to sort the roster into three groups for the opening preseason matchup. The first team will play a series or two, the second will finish the first half, and the third will play the second half of action.
Behind Rodgers, Mason Rudolph sits in second place on the depth chart at the quarterback position. The six-year veteran is looking to cement his role as the backup quarterback role, while Will Howard and Drew Allar have more to prove deeper down the depth chart. Pittsburgh selected Howard with the 185th overall pick in last year’s draft, but he has not received any regular-season snaps to this point. Penn State standout Drew Allar was selected with the 76th overall pick in this year’s draft and will also look to make his case for why he deserves a chance to take the keys to the franchise following Rodgers’ eventual retirement. This is an important opportunity for each of the accomplished collegiate quarterbacks.
Beyond the quarterback position, the right side of the offensive line is open for competition, and the secondary is not settled. Spencer Anderson looks to have the inside track on the right guard spot, but the tackle spot remains up in the air. The linebacker rotation is also one to note.
Packers at Steelers best bet
While Mike McCarthy is putting on a brave face and hyping up the preseason outlook, this has not historically been the way he has operated. When he was the head coach of the Cowboys, Dak Prescott did not play a single preseason snap. It is difficult to imagine him leaning on 42-year-old Rodgers in this preseason setting, especially given the quarterback’s outspoken comments and the history of each of them. It was worth noting the rotational plan that McCarthy laid out for his expectation of how the opening preseason matchup will play out. But the reality is, this plan will result in extended time for players competing to just stick on the roster.
In contrast, Matt LaFleur does put some stock in the preseason and has been open about its importance. Even after Love had an injury scare last year that put his Week 1 status in some jeopardy, LaFleur has not changed his stance. It may only be a handful of drives, but having Love behind a healthy offensive line could be enough to put this game out of reach. While McCord and Drones are unproven, each have had some impressive flashes in college and have very different skillsets that will provide unique challenges for this Steelers defense.
The Cowboys went 4-9 in preseason across the final four seasons of Mike McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas. They also scored 17 or fewer points in seven preseason games and averaged 19.1 points per game in this setting overall. Count on the head coach keeping things close to the vest in this matchup from a play call perspective, and for the Steelers to have more of a focus on development and evaluation.
Expect the Packers to keep their foot on the gas a bit more throughout the matchup and pave the way to a victory in this preseason opener. Expect the Green Bay starters to see more of an expanded opportunity and produce the victory on the road to kick off the 2026 season.
