The Steelers will enter a new era next season with Mike McCarthy on the sideline after he was tapped as the franchise’s new head coach following the end of Mike Tomlin’s prolific tenure. One of the biggest questions facing McCarthy in his first season on the Pittsburgh sideline is the long-term future of the quarterback position and he’ll be searching for an answer this offseason. In the short-term, though, McCarthy might be able to bring back a familiar face in the form of the one and only Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers seemed all but ready to retire when walking off the field following the Steelers’ final game of the 2025 season, a wild card loss to the Texans. When Tomlin elected to step down as head coach it felt even more likely Rodgers had played his final snap. But the organization’s decision to hire McCarthy changed things, and on Super Bowl Sunday NFL insider Tom Pelissero gave an update on the situation.
“Rodgers has not yet informed the Steelers whether he’ll return for a 22nd NFL season but my understanding is, the odds are increasing,” Pelissero said. “I am told Rodgers has spoken several times with new Steelers coach Mike McCarthy, who of course helped develop Rodgers into a four-time MVP and a Super Bowl winner in Green Bay. Rodgers also has spoken with wide receiver DK Metcalf, who wants Rodgers back at age 42.
“The plan is for Rodgers to take a little bit more time and, everyone hopes, comes to a decision prior to the start of free agency in mid-March. This is Aaron Rodgers, only he knows ultimately where this is going to go. If it’s going to come back they need to work out a contract. But at this point it would not be a surprise if Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh.”
The "odds are increasing" that Aaron Rodgers returns to the Steelers next season, per @TomPelissero.
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 8, 2026
NFL GameDay Morning on NFLN pic.twitter.com/AN3U12WJY3
The last few offseasons have been rife with Rodgers speculation so it’s only fitting the 2026 offseason will be as well.
Last year Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns to go with seven interceptions. At times he showed flashes of the elite QB he once was but the 42-year-old’s best days are clearly behind him. Teaming up with McCarthy again after many successful seasons together on the Packers could lead to a renaissance season of sorts. Perhaps more importantly, though, Rodgers could serve as a bridge quarterback to Pittsburgh’s next signal-caller given the franchise’s lack of options on that front entering this offseason.
It took Rodgers until June to officially make his decision to sign with the Steelers in 2025. We’ll see if it takes him that long in 2026.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Insider Gives Update on Aaron Rodgers’s Potential Return to Steelers.
