Are Steelers playing their starters today vs. Panthers? Exploring Pittsburgh's plan for Week 3 preseason clash

Published Aug 21, 2025 15:04 GMT

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Pittsburgh Steelers - NFL Preseason 2025 - Source: Getty — Are Steelers playing their starters today vs. Panthers? Exploring Pittsburgh's plan for Week 3 preseason clash - Source: Getty

The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 of the 2025 preseason on Thursday. The preseason game will kick off from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte at 7 p.m. ET.

Ahead of the Steelers vs. Panthers clash, fans want to know if both teams will play their starters to close out their preseason.

Are Steelers playing their starters today vs. Panthers?

NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp - Source: Imagn

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

The Steelers will be playing most of their starters against the Panthers in Week 3 of the preseason. However, Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver DK Metcalf, outside linebacker T.J. Watt and defensive lineman Cam Heyward won't play in Thursday's contest.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are not going to play their starters against the Steelers. The decision is mainly because Carolina will want its starters fit for the regular season.

The Steelers began their preseason with a 31-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, Pittsburgh lost 17-14 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their second preseason contest.

The Panthers, on the other hand, lost their preseason games against the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans.

“I feel great about our conditioning level. I feel great about the physicality of play,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said after the loss in Houston. “I don’t feel great about our execution of the basics because it’s not showing up consistently for us.”

Although Carolina displayed some promising moments, the team has areas that require improvement.

How to watch Steelers vs. Panthers Week 3 preseason game?

The Steelers vs. Panthers Week 3 preseason game will be broadcast live on CBS. Here are the regional channels where fans can watch the contest:

Charlotte: Queen City News (FOX | WJZY)
Charleston: CBS | WCSC
Columbia: CBS | WLTX

Here are the key details for the Steelers vs. Panthers game:

Date: Thursday, August 21, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.

About the author

Arnold is a journalist covering College Sports and the NFL at Sportskeeda. He has been with the company since August 2022.

Arnold graduated with a degree in Mass Media from MIC. As a sports fanatic, he pursued writing to express his thoughts and opinions on sports events across the globe. He has also worked at Wizcraft and Publicis.

Arnold began supporting the Kansas City Chiefs after watching Patrick Mahomes lead them to Super Bowl glory in 2020. He also has a soft corner for the New York Yankees since he's lived in New York for two years. Arnold's favorite coach of all time is Andy Reid, and the Chiefs dynasty looks far from over.

In his free time, Arnold enjoys reading, exercising, and traveling. He follows several other sports including football, cricket, tennis, basketball, boxing and F1.

Know More

Panthers Nation! Check out the latest Carolina Panthers Schedule and dive into the Panthers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Arnold