Three Questions Facing the Steelers as Aaron Rodgers Weighs His Future

The Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting, again.

For the third straight offseason, uncertainty at quarterback defines the franchise’s direction. Aaron Rodgers signed a one-year deal in 2025, helped guide Pittsburgh to a 10–7 record and an AFC North title, and now faces a decision that will shape the next phase of the organization. Reports have indicated that Rodgers’ chances of returning in 2026 are low. If that proves true, Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation becomes urgent.

Three questions shape what comes next in Pittsburgh.

1) What Did Rodgers Actually Give Them in 2025?

Rodgers was not vintage Rodgers last season. He finished with 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and completed 65.7 percent of his throws. The arm strength is still there, and he remains adept at getting the offense into favorable looks at the line of scrimmage. But for a second straight year, he showed little appetite for absorbing contact in the pocket. The ball comes out quickly, often by design, compressing the passing game and narrowing what the Steelers can call.

That production reflects a quarterback no longer operating at MVP levels, but it also represented functional stability. The Steelers had cycled through Mitch Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson in recent seasons. Rodgers at least provided continuity and situational competence.

Around Rodgers. Pittsburgh fielded one of the league’s weaker receiving groups in 2025. The offense was rarely explosive, but it was controlled. Rodgers’ limited turnovers helped the Steelers reach the playoffs before a Wild Card loss to Houston.

At 42, the question is less about whether Rodgers can still play and more about whether he wants to. If he retires, Pittsburgh loses its most reliable option at the position. If he returns, the ceiling may be limited, but the floor is defined.

2) How Does Mike McCarthy Change the Equation?

The Steelers enter 2026 with a new head coach. After 19 seasons under Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh hired Mike McCarthy, reuniting him with Rodgers, whom he coached in Green Bay from 2006 to 2018.

Organizationally, that move signals openness to continuity. At the NFL Scouting Combine this week, general manager Omar Khan stated that all options are on the table, but he has also emphasized that the Steelers would welcome Rodgers back. Owner Art Rooney II has echoed that sentiment. McCarthy has said he would embrace a reunion.

The presence of McCarthy complicates the retirement narrative. If Rodgers does return, he would do so in a system he knows with a coach who understands how to structure the offense around him. If he does not, McCarthy’s first season becomes a reset year without a clear bridge option.

Rodgers waited until June to sign last offseason. Khan has suggested he does not expect a repeat of that drawn-out process. But Rodges has never been quick to make offseason decisions.

3) Should Pittsburgh Draft a Quarterback at No. 21?

The Steelers hold the No. 21 overall pick in a class widely viewed as thin at quarterback beyond Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Alabama’s Ty Simpson is one name frequently projected to Pittsburgh in mock drafts.

Simpson threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions last season. He is viewed as intelligent and efficient, but he made just 15 career starts.

That limited résumé invites comparison to Kenny Pickett, the 20th overall pick in 2022. Pickett went 14–10 as a starter but produced 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over two seasons before moving on. The Steelers invested first-round capital once and did not get franchise-level production in return.

Drafting a quarterback would signal a long-term pivot under McCarthy. Passing on one would signal belief that Rodgers could return or that a stronger 2027 class presents better value.

Rodgers’ decision will not just determine the 2026 starter. It will define whether Pittsburgh is extending its competitive window with a veteran or beginning another search for the next answer at the most important position in sports.