Steelers Receive Grave Aaron Rodgers Warning Before Free Agency

We still don't know for sure who will be playing quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers next season. Most are under the impression that it will be Aaron Rodgers, but no one can say that for a stone-cold fact.

Rodgers recently stated that the Steelers have not even made him any sort of contract offer yet, and while the 42-year-old appears to be leaning toward playing in 2026, his status remains up in the air.

But is Rodgers even the best option for Pittsburgh under center next season?

Jarrett Bailey of Behind the Steel Curtain doesn't seem to think so, placing the future Hall-of-Famer in his "C tier" of quarterback options for next fall.

"Like he is many other ways, Rodgers is in a tier by himself here," Bailey wrote. "I wouldn’t be excited by any means if he returns to the Steelers, but there are other names I would strongly dislike far more. It would be an unmotivated, stuck-in-their-ways move by Pittsburgh to re-sign him. Unfortunately, unmotivated and stuck in their ways has been the perfect encapsulation of the Pittsburgh Steelers over the last half-decade."

Bailey had Kyler Murray, Anthony Richardson and Malik Wills in "A tier" while listing Mac Jones and Geno Smith in "B tier."

Geno Smith over Rodgers? Seriously?

I could at least see Richardson because he's still really young and has a whole lot of untapped potential, but even that seems a bit outlandish given that he lost his job to Daniel Jones before last season and completed 47.7 percent of his passes in 2024.

If we're being honest, Rodgers played pretty well for the Steelers this past year, throwing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 65.7 percent of his passes and posting a 94.8 passer rating.

Was he anywhere close to prime Rodgers? No, and we will almost certainly never see that form of Rodgers ever again. But he was good enough to lead Pittsburgh to an AFC North division in spite of pitiful weaponry at his disposal.

Thinking that Smith or Richardson would cure the Steelers' ills seems like a pipe dream, and I would even imagine that Willis — this spring's free-agent darling — would struggle with Pittsburgh's current set of playmakers.

The key for the Steelers is to actually acquire some more pass-catchers this offseason. Otherwise, it won't matter who is taking snaps for Pittsburgh in 2026: he is going to have a rough time. 

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