In an eerily similar offseason to 2025, the Steelers proceed to attend on Aaron Rodgers. This time, nonetheless, the team didn’t appear to expect the method to tug on prefer it has.
While Rodgers went into the 2025 season expecting it to be his last, the aging great modified his tune and has been talking to Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan this offseason. But no deal is in place. The Steelers have also not heard for certain whether Rodgers will indeed return for a twenty first season, and the delay is approaching the two-month mark.
The Steelers expected to listen to from Rodgers on his future around mid-February, in response to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. After nothing emerged, a brand new loose deadline placed free agency as the subsequent window. When Rodgers didn’t let his 2025 employer learn about his interest in a second season at that time, Art Rooney II pointed to the draft as the subsequent point during which the team expected to search out out the long run Hall of Famer’s plans.
Rodgers, 42, didn’t sign with the Steelers until just before mandatory minicamp last yr. The quarterback cited personal reasons on the time for the wait. Although Rodgers would seemingly give you the option to reassimilate into McCarthy’s offense fairly easily — even when the veteran HC has made tweaks since his Green Bay years — Pittsburgh shall be hosting the draft and will be within the QB market.
Ty Simpson has come up as a possible Pittsburgh option. It might make sense for the Steelers to strongly consider Simpson at No. 21, seeing as they’ve not finished below .500 since 2003 and annually lack access to drafts’ top QB prospects, but multiple reports have pointed to the team being more more likely to avoid that path. The Steelers passed on Jaxson Dart last yr, something the Giants expected after they didn’t trade in front of them. It was viewed as likely by that time Rodgers would join the then-Mike Tomlin-led team. Tomlin’s presence drove Rodgers to Pittsburgh, and while Rooney expected the HC’s exit to affect the QB’s future with the team, McCarthy being tabbed because the successor pried the door back open.
Kirk Cousins loomed as a possible backup option last yr, though the Falcons ended up keeping him out of trades (as they wanted an acquiring team to select up a big chunk of his 2025 compensation), and Schefter adds the veteran also loomed because the Steelers’ likely fallback option behind Rodgers this offseason. Because the Steelers have waited out Rodgers once more, Cousins signed with the Raiders.
Jimmy Garoppolo stays unsigned, as does 2024 Steeler starter Russell Wilson (who hoped to re-sign in 2025 but didn’t draw much Steelers interest). Beyond that duo, the free agent market consists of backup or third-string options following Cousins’ Las Vegas commitment.
The Steelers will proceed to develop 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, and Mason Rudolph has one yr remaining on his contract. Based on reporting so far, it will surprise if Rodgers didn’t reprise his role as Pittsburgh’s starter. Still, the previous Packers and Jets starter has gone from being “90% retired” as of winter 2023 to potentially playing 4 more seasons. That may be a stretch, injecting more risk into the Steelers’ strategy.
The Steelers have their eggs on this basket once more. While that gives a good indication Rodgers will return, the team passing on Simpson after which seeing a Rodgers retirement start will create a potentially embarrassing situation.