The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new head coach, hiring Mike McCarthy. Now, many are wondering where they’ll turn to next. Who will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2026?

Is Aaron Rodgers returning for a second season? The four-time NFL MVP did help lead the Steelers back to the playoffs, but he’ll also be 42 years old. Does Rodgers want to return for a 22nd season in the NFL?

For now, Rodgers is a free agent. But with his old head coach signing up to coach the Steelers in 2026, many are speculating that McCarthy and Rodgers will try to re-create their Super Bowl magic in Pittsburgh.

According to Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Rodgers has already spoken to coach McCarthy since he was hired as the Steelers’ head coach. Yet, the way Glazer made it sound, the discussion may have even been as simple as Rodgers paying his respects to McCarthy for landing another head coaching job after a year away from the industry.

“Him and Mike McCarthy have talked,” Glazer said. “I think it’s more an appreciation for Mike now than he had, by a lot. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Or, as Glazer notes at the end, perhaps the two sides realize what they had in eachother and are ready to give it another go. After all, if they were good enough to win a Super Bowl before, why can’t they put together what they’ve learned and try to compete for another Lombardi, this time in Pittsburgh rather than Green Bay?

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Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on Sportsnaut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports ... More about Andrew Buller-Russ