They spent more than a decade together in Green Bay. New Steelers coach Mike McCarthy wants that relationship to resume, and to continue.
During his introductory press conference, McCarthy was asked whether it’s his “personal preference,” in light of the “best-case scenario,” whether he wants quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return for 2026.
“I mean, definitely,” McCarthy said. “I mean, obviously, [I don’t know] why you wouldn’t. But, you know, I think just like anything, knowing Aaron long enough, going through seasons . . . when guys are up at that stage of their career, they need to step away and decompress. I think that’s very important. The game is so emotional. What these men commit to and what they put into it. I think that time away is important.
“And I have spoken to Aaron, and so that’s really where we are there. But I was able to sit back and watch the games. I watched most of the Pittsburgh games on TV, and I thought he was a great asset for the team.”
McCarthy was later asked if there’s a timeline for both the team and Rodgers to make a decision.
“Timelines, we haven’t discussed that yet,” McCarthy said.
They’ll need to discuss it fairly soon. Free agency starts in six weeks. If the Steelers will be looking for another veteran quarterback, they’ll need to have a plan.
Of course, they could do what the Steelers did in 2025 — prepare to go forward with the guys they have (Will Howard and Mason Rudolph) and wait for Rodgers.
“I’m really excited about Will Howard,” McCarthy said. “I think he’s someone that I thought he really came on at Ohio State. I’m anxious to work with him, so it’d be great to have Aaron back, but Will and Mason, I’m really excited to get started with those guys.”
A year ago, coach Mike Tomlin seemed to know all along that Rodgers would sign in time for the mandatory minicamp in June. Which made the Steelers content to sit tight with Rudolph as the Plan B and Howard as the sixth-round rookie acquired during the draft. This year, it remains to be seen whether there will be a wink-nod that Rodgers will skip the voluntary portion of the offseason program before showing up, or whether he’ll take more time before giving the team an official or unofficial decision.
The first question is whether Rodgers wants to return to a team that doesn’t have Tomlin in charge. Tomlin seemed to be the main reason for Rodgers’s decision in 2025. This year, Rodgers may choose to explore other options before making a decision, with retirement always a real possibility.
