Aaron

Rodgers

While the Steelers again wait on a decision from Rodgers, the team is making sure they have a “contingency plan” in place, per Garafolo. With multiple veteran QBs available (or expected to become available — Kirk Cousins), Pittsburgh will have it’s share of options as Rodgers again mulls retirement. Rodgers threw for 3,322-24-7 in his lone season with the Steelers and helped lead them to a playoff berth that was followed by an exit in the Wild Card round. Ideally, the Steelers would find a better option than the 42-year-old signal caller for next season, but given how thin the QB market is and the underwhelming draft class that’s coming in, there isn’t a clear option for an upgrade at this time.

Rodgers added, “There’s so much love for Mike and appreciation for the time we spent together.” While Rodgers and McCarthy certainly didn’t end their time in Green Bay on the best of terms, time heals all wounds. Rodgers was effusive in his praise of McCarthy and downplayed the negatives of their relationship as brotherly squabbles. It sounds like, if he wants to keep playing, Rodgers would have no issues reuniting with his former head coach in Pittsburgh. Rodgers declined to announce whether or not he will play in 2026 while speaking with McAfee. He also noted that the Steelers have not made him a contract offer, nor have they set a deadline on his looming retirement decision. Much like last year, Rodgers is going to take his sweet time to decide if he wants to lace up the cleats once more.

In his article, Dulac writes that the Steelers “have little if no intention of taking a quarterback with their top pick,” while adding “it’s more than likely it wouldn’t be until the third round” when they would consider drafting a QB. He also added that they would only take a QB if they believed he had a higher ceiling than Will Howard, who they selected in the sixth-round of last year’s draft. The Steelers met with Penn State’s Drew Allar, Miami’s Carson Beck, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson at last week’s combine, with Simpson being the only QB who is believed to have a chance at going in the first round. Whether or not Aaron Rodgers opts to return for another season will likely also factor into the team’s decision on if/when they should draft a QB, but regardless, it doesn’t sound like we should expect the Steelers to reach into the first-round to draft their quarterback of the future.

Neither Brzezinski nor head coach Kevin O’Connell committed to J.J. McCarthy as the team’s 2026 starter following McCarthy’s ugly 2025 campaign. McCarthy, coming off a knee injury that wiped out his 2024 rookie season, ranked 39th out of 40 qualifying QBs in accuracy and 37th in drop backs success rate over ten games. O’Connell reportedly had to simplify the Minnesota playbook because McCarthy could not grasp the offense. “What we do know is we need a level of baseline quarterback play for us to be effective,” Brzezinski said. “A lot of this has been J.J. in unfortunate [situations] with some of the injuries and things that he’s dealt with, but we’re going to explore every opportunity, and I don’t think there’s anything specifically we’re looking for.” The team’s firing of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last month might mean McCarthy’s time with the Vikings is all but over. Look for the Vikings to talk with Kirk Cousins in the coming weeks as the Falcons are expected to part ways with the former Minnesota starter. They could also show interest in Kyler Murray and Aaron Rodgers this offseason.

Khan told reporters at the NFL Combine on Tuesday that he has been in touch with Rodgers, 42, and doesn’t “foresee this going like it did last year,” when Rodgers drew out his decision to play for the Steelers well into the spring. ESPN reported on February 13 that Rodgers is “more likely than not” to return to Pittsburgh and play for his former Packers coach Mike McCarthy. Rodgers in 2025 showed some improvement over his play with the Jets in 2024. He ranked 23rd out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks last season in drop back EPA and 33rd in drop back success rate.

Pryor believes that the Steelers would like to know Rodgers’ intentions “sooner rather than later,” ideally before the NFL Combine for scouting purposes. During new head coach Mike McCarthy’s interview process, McCarthy reportedly laid out a plan to develop 2025 sixth-round pick, QB Will Howard, who missed most of last season due to a “freak” pinky finger injury. McCarthy is a “big fan” of Howard, though one wonders how big a fan he is, given Pryor’s comments about Rodgers’ decision-making timing regarding the NFL Combine.

Well here’s a whole news cycle for the next five months, anyway. Again, it’s hard to argue that there’s a better fate for the Steelers out there between the lack of non-No. 1 overall quarterbacks in this year’s draft and how diminished free agency looks this year. But if you were hoping for a quick retirement after Mike Tomlin gracefully resigned his position, we can welcome you back to the 2025 Offseason Part II. We’ll have more of the same for the next several blurbs on Rodgers.

“It would not be a surprise if Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh,” Pelissero says. Look for us to repeat some version of this blurb 20 times over the next five months, and after that perhaps we’ll get an actual resolution. Hiring Mike McCarthy — who Pelissero notes has spoken to Rodgers several times — surely put this in motion. Rodgers and the Steelers would also need to work out a contract for him to return.

Removing the part of our brain that understands what this really means is six more months of daily speculation about Aaron Rodgers coming back, it does make sense that win-now hire Mike McCarthy would want the best quarterback he could have. He has a pre-existing relationship with Rodgers, and Rodgers — clearly flawed at this point — is probably as good as the Steelers could hope to do at the position next year. Anyway, here’s to another offseason of this.

It’s hard to know how seriously to take these nuggets in January, especially when Howard is one of only two quarterbacks currently under contract with the Steelers. Howard was selected by the Steelers in the sixth round of last year’s draft and threw for 4,010-35-10 in his final college season with Ohio State on his way to winning a national championship. Given the current state of the Steelers’ quarterback room and the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers, it’s possible Howard gets a chance to compete for the starting job in camp, but the Steelers are all but certain to add another quarterback or two to their room this offseason, whether it’s via the draft or free agency.