GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers said you'll find him in an exit-row seat on the team's flight to New England on Wednesday.
That should mean the Green Bay Packers quarterback will play in Thursday's preseason opener against the Patriots, at least if you think it's reasonable to put two and two together.
"Our goal is for everybody to play in the game," McCarthy said Tuesday. "Whoever travels to New England will play. That's our outlook."
That would be a change from last year, when McCarthy held out Rodgers, running back Eddie Lacy and receiver Jordy Nelson in the preseason opener at the Tennessee Titans, a game that was played in torrential rain.
This time around, Rodgers expects to play.
"I'm not sure how much time I'll play, but I'll be there," Rodgers said. "And I think we're going to go with the starters for a little while."
Typically, the starters -- if they play at all -- see only a series or two in the preseason opener.
Last preseason, Rodgers played in only two of the four preseason games and totaled 69 snaps. In 2013, he played just 45 plays in the preseason, down from 79 in the 2012 preseason.
It remained unclear whether linebacker Clay Matthews will suit up. Matthews returned to practice on Monday after missing a week because of a sore knee. He made it through two straight days of practice with no setbacks.
"I'm preparing to be out there, but obviously that's not my decision," Matthews said. "I'm encouraged by getting out there back-to-back [days] and how I feel. We'll see what that means moving forward. … We'll see if it's Thursday, next Sunday [at Pittsburgh]."
Here are some other notes from Tuesday's practice:
Hands team: In the first look at the onside kick recovery drill since the NFC Championship Game, tight end Richard Rodgers appeared to be in the spot previously held by Brandon Bostick, who botched the recovery that aided the Seahawks comeback.
Catch of the day: Randall Cobb made an into-your-living-room, juggling catch for a 16-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone on a perfectly thrown ball from Rodgers. Cobb managed to get two feet down and control the ball before raced through the back of the end zone.
Medical report: There were four additions to the injury list: cornerback Damarious Randall (groin), cornerback Tay Glover-Wright (hamstring), cornerback Demetri Goodson (calf) and safety Sean Richardson (pectoral). Randall had been limited on Monday but did not practice at all. Goodson dropped out midway through practice.
Daniels no go: Before practice, McCarthy said he expected defensive tackle Mike Daniels to test his injured ankle in practice. However, Daniels was not seen doing any drills.
Roster move: Rookie receiver Ricky Collins, who never made it off the physically unable to perform list because of a heel injury, was released with an injury settlement. It left the Packers with 87 players on the roster, three short of the training camp limit.
