Will Aaron Rodgers return for his 22nd NFL season in 2026? The Pittsburgh Steelers have been going year-to-year at the quarterback position, really ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season. While the Steelers hoped selecting Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft would give Pittsburgh a new franchise QB, that plan didn’t come to fruition.
In 2024, they found a short-term bridge option in former Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson. But after the Steelers’ scoring offense actually got worse, going from Pickett to Wilson, they decided to move on. Once again, they turned to another surefire short-term solution by signing Rodgers to a one-year contract.
Rodgers managed well, bringing the team to the playoffs after winning 10 games in the regular season. But he’s also the oldest player in football. Is another season really in the cards? Do the Steelers really want to put their faith in a 42-year-old QB?
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Steelers have let it be known that they “definitely want” Rodgers back for another season in 2026.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Steelers definitely want quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return for 2026. It’s not a ploy to make Rodgers think they want him back while hoping he doesn’t return. They want him to return. And here’s the kicker. They’re in no hurry.”
This move made sense from the moment the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy to be their next head coach. Rodgers already has chemistry with DK Metcalf and the rest of the Steelers’ pass-catchers, and he has a strong knowledge of McCarthy’s system.
In other words, the Rodgers we see in 2026 could be one of the better versions we’ve seen from the four-time NFL MVP in quite some time. Or maybe he’s finally too old to play.
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