Sometimes, opportunities are just too good to pass up. One has fallen into the laps of the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Aaron Rodgers isn't just back in Pittsburgh this season, but he has also reunited with Mike McCarthy, bringing back the Super Bowl-winning quarterback-coach combo we haven't seen in almost a decade. Their first date on the preseason schedule? A visit from Green Bay.
While Rodgers almost certainly won't play against the Packers (after all, it's a meaningless preseason game), this feels like a golden opportunity for the two teams to hold a joint practice. McCarthy, give Matt LaFleur a call and make this happen.
Packers and Steelers need to hold a joint practice with Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy reuniting
Who says no?
LaFleur loves joint practices. They already have one on the books for this summer, as ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported that the Packers plan to host Mike LaFleur's Arizona Cardinals for a joint practice before their preseason game at Lambeau Field.
McCarthy didn't make a habit of hosting joint practices during his time in Green Bay, but it's something Pittsburgh has done recently. Rodgers was never a big fan of joint practices, but they offer an opportunity to go against another NFL team, which is valuable if starters won't feature in the preseason game itself.
It would give the Packers and Steelers, two teams with lofty ambitions this season, a chance for a competitive practice. They can test themselves in a way that's not always possible when practicing against teammates.
It would benefit both sides, but think about us. The NFL is all about entertainment, and it wouldn't get much better than this for a joint practice.
The history. Rodgers reuniting with Jordan Love. And Matt LaFleur. With McCarthy by his side. McCarthy running his offense against the Packers' defense.
Training camp isn't always exciting, but this would be flat-out fun. If nothing else, just for the videos of the players and coaches together and the media interviews.
It will be bizarre enough watching Rodgers and McCarthy reunited, especially working for the team they defeated in Super Bowl XLV.
Barring a rematch in the big game next February, we won't see Love vs. Rodgers II this season. We almost certainly won't get that in the preseason opener, either. Even if they suit up, how many snaps will they play? A series? Two? And it ultimately means nothing.
But a joint practice would be all kinds of fun. Beyond just the benefits of a competitive joint practice, the relationships and storylines involved would make it a truly cool moment for Packers fans.
It's a one-off opportunity we likely won't get again. LaFleur, McCarthy, make it happen.
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