Here’s a sentence that has rang true for the past three years: An NFL team is waiting on Aaron Rodgers to make a decision.
In February 2023, the future Hall of Fame quarterback entered a “darkness retreat.” In his mind, he was “90% retiring,” leaving the Green Bay Packers in limbo. Ultimately, Rodgers was pleased with the Packers’ willingness to trade him, and he landed with the New York Jets. Four snaps into his Jets tenure, he tore his Achilles and missed the entire 2023 season.
During the 2024 offseason, Rodgers opted for Egypt over the Jets’ mandatory minicamp, sparking drama about his commitment to the Jets and to football overall. The four-time NFL MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion ended up starting 17 regular-season games in a disastrous 5-12 season for the Jets, and New York released him in January 2025.
Last year, Rodgers kept the Pittsburgh Steelers waiting until he finally agreed to sign a one-year contract in June. Now, here we are again.
Rodgers, 42, has not declared whether he plans to return for a 22nd season or retire. Various reports have circulated that the expectation is for Rodgers to play in 2026, including NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry reporting that Rodgers is “leaning towards” coming back and playing for Pittsburgh.
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson, Rodgers might lose his luxury of choice if he waits much longer.
“One league source who has ties to this offseason’s quarterback market offered one interesting possibility of a twist: That the Steelers could get impatient and instead be satisfied going with [Will] Howard, [Mason] Rudolph and [Kirk] Cousins as a veteran addition, leaving Rodgers to take a step back and see if another opportunity opens up in training camp or even early in the regular season — effectively creating a situation similar to veterans like Joe Flacco and Philip Rivers stepping into starting roles in recent years,” Robinson wrote in a column posted Sunday. “The source added that would be the least likely development for Pittsburgh and Rodgers at this point.”
An unnamed source told Robinson, “I think it’s still Pittsburgh or retirement, which is what it’s always been [for Rodgers]. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a little more push from the Steelers than there was last offseason. I don’t think ownership wants to go down that road again after the draft.”
Similarly, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said last week that the Steelers are “hopeful” and “optimistic” that they’ll have Rodgers under center again in 2026, but if Rodgers chooses not to return, the Steelers “believe that they have a quarterback prospect in Will Howard.”
As of Sunday, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Rodgers and the Steelers “continue to engage in positive conversations,” and Rodgers is “aware of the ongoing roster construction.” Pryor echoed Schefter’s report that the Steelers are preparing to move forward with Howard if necessary.
The Steelers selected Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Howard won the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship as Ohio State’s starting QB, but he has not yet played a down in the NFL.
Last season, Rodgers led the Steelers to a 10-7 record and the playoffs, where they were pummeled by the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round. Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions on 65.7% completion in 16 regular-season games.
After the Steelers’ loss to Houston, longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepped away, and the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy, who coached Rodgers in Green Bay. Together, they ironically beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV 15 years ago.
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