LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers’ debut in Pittsburgh will have to wait.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said the team’s new quarterback and most of its other high-profile starters won’t play when the club opens the preseason in Jacksonville on Saturday.

T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, Jonnu Smith, DK Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey are also among the group that will watch from the sideline.

“They need less runway to take off, to be honest with you, because of their experience and where they’re at in their careers,” Tomlin said Thursday.

Rodgers, who signed a one-year deal with the Steelers in early June, said Wednesday he was open to making a rare exhibition game appearance. Tomlin doesn’t think it’s required, though he didn’t rule out Rodgers making a cameo on the field later in the preseason.

The first-team offense struggled in the early days of training camp at Saint Vincent College. Tomlin said there’s been a notable “upswing,” a major factor in why he’s in no hurry to rush the NFL’s oldest player into game action.

“I just make judgments based on what I’m looking at,” Tomlin said. “I just feel comfortable with what I’ve seen during this portion of the process that makes me (OK with Rodgers sitting out).”

Rookie quarterback Will Howard is unavailable after injuring his right (throwing) hand on Tuesday. Tomlin described Howard as “week to week,” and said there’s a chance Howard will be available at some point later this month.

The Steelers signed well-traveled backup quarterback Logan Woodside to pick up some of the reps with Howard out. Woodside has a long relationship with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The two were together in Tennessee in 2019 and 2020 when Smith was the Titans’ offensive coordinator. Woodside also spent time in Atlanta during Smith’s three-year tenure as Falcons’ head coach.

There’s a chance Woodside could be available to play against the Jaguars, though the bulk of the snaps will likely be split between veteran Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson.

Cowboys

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson was hit in the back on Thursday and left practice early.

Ferguson was hurt in a red-zone drill when linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. made contact with him during a passing play.

Ferguson stayed down on his back for several minutes, with teammates surrounding him, but he was able to get up under his own power.

“I just got to keep my teammate up,” Murray said. “Down in the red zone, everything happens fast, you know, just trying to be on it quick. There’s not a lot of space, not a lot of room.”

Ferguson was examined by a trainer and appeared to be trying to stretch out his back before leaving the field at the start of the next period.

Quarterback Dak Prescott described the hit as two players acting on instincts that are “hard to turn off in split-second moments.”

“More importantly, Jake jumped up, Jake dapped him up and said he was good, and we’re going to move forward,” Prescott said about Ferguson shaking hands with Murray after the hit.

Ferguson signed a four-year, $52 million extension on July 27 that includes a $12 million signing bonus. He had 59 catches for 494 yards but did not have a touchdown reception last season. The previous year, Ferguson had career highs with 71 catches for 761 yards and five TDs.

Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Packers coach Matt LaFleur says he will try to play all four of his quarterbacks Saturday, an indication that Jordan Love could make at least a cameo appearance in Green Bay’s preseason opener against the New York Jets.

“We’ll do our best to give them all meaningful reps,” LaFleur said Thursday. “Certainly some of those guys, they’re going to play longer than others.”

Green Bay’s other quarterbacks in camp are Malik Willis, Sean Clifford and Taylor Elgersma.

Love said Wednesday he would like to get at least a little bit of preseason playing time.

He threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks in the first series of last year’s preseason opener and didn’t play again until the start of the regular season.