The Pittsburgh Steelers may not have expected this conversation to still be alive, as it was uncertain if he’d retire, but reports are now indicating that they’re open to the idea of Aaron Rodgers returning in 2026, assuming he doesn’t decide to hang them up.
For a franchise that’s always had good play at quarterback and hasn’t had that recently, the idea of bringing Rodgers back makes plenty of sense.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, if Rodgers wants to play, the Steelers will take him back with open arms.
“In the locker room a couple weeks ago, [Rodgers] opened the door potentially to return for 2026,” Rapoport said, per Yardbarker. “[He is] certainly playing well enough, and my understanding is that if Rodgers did want to return for next season — the Steelers have really enjoyed the experience — would be more than open to it. Just hope you get an answer sooner rather than later like they did last offseason.”
From a football standpoint, Rodgers has given Pittsburgh exactly what it hoped for. He’s played well enough to justify the idea of bringing him back, and has proven throughout his career that he can play with the best of them.
The locker room buy-in has been real, too, and comes as somewhat of a surprise given his personality.
Perhaps just as important, Rodgers hasn’t felt like a short-term rental walking to retirement, as his presence has helped a lot of players, and the Steelers have seemingly loved him on and off thefield.
Of course, the decision ultimately belongs to Rodgers. Retirement has been a topic for him for years now, and that isn’t changing due to his age, but for the first time in a while, there’s a chance he’ll come out and make his final decision.
The Steelers may not be panicking, but they’ll need to get an answer. If Rodgers waits until the end of the offseason to make a decision, there’s a chance Pittsburgh could be in a weird spot. I don’t suspect that he’ll do so, but Rodgers has a strange way of going about things, so it sadly can’t be counted out.