Overview

• Aaron Rodgers, Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt and DK Metcalf will not play Thursday against the Panthers, Mike Tomlin said.
• Rodgers did not take a preseason snap and is expected to make his Steelers debut in Week 1 at MetLife Stadium against the Jets.
• Heyward practiced in pads and worked into team periods for the first time since his contract dispute surfaced, with negotiations still unresolved.
• Heyward apologized to Rodgers on his Not Just Football podcast, and the pair publicly cleared the air after offseason comments.
• Tomlin indicated other starters, including Jalen Ramsey and Darius Slay, could see action to build secondary cohesion before the opener.