Joint practices allow coaches to hold players out of games

By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tom Brady will get his reps in joint practices against the Miami Dolphins this week instead of an exhibition game. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t played a preseason snap since 2018. Justin Herbert is expected to again watch from the sideline this month. Thirty of the NFL’s 32 teams will kick off their preseason schedules this week — the Raiders and Jaguars already played in the Hall of Fame Game — and many teams will hold their starters out until the games count in the standings. For Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles, it’s an easy decision to keep the 45-year-old Brady on the bench when Tampa Bay hosts Miami on Saturday night.