Matt Johnson
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been waiting months for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to decide if he’ll play in the 2026 NFL season. Just as a resolution seemed to be in sight, the saga has reportedly taken another turn.
Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show reported that, as far as he’s gathered, “there is no meeting scheduled or expected” between Rodgers and the Steelers organization.
Related: Insider Predicts Who Will Be Steelers Starting QB in 2027
93.7 The Fan reported on Thursday that Rodgers would be visiting Pittsburgh in the coming days and there was an expectation he’d sign a contract. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said that while a visit was happening, there weren’t any signs a deal was imminent.
Furthermore, Steelers general manager Omar Khan came out on Friday and stated he wasn’t aware of Rodgers’ whereabouts. It aligns with reporting by Mark Kaboly that everyone he’s spoken to in Pittsburgh said they haven’t seen Rodgers and aren’t aware of a potential meeting.
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Examining the Steelers’ Situation with Aaron Rodgers
At the start of the offseason, it seemed like the Steelers organization and head coach Mike McCarthy were willing to be patient with Rodgers. There was an understanding that the future Hall of Famer would take some time away this offseason and eventually return to the team.
However, there have been more recent signs that Pittsburgh is losing its patience with the waiting game. The team used the rare “right-of-first-refusal tender” on Rodgers in April. It means Pittsburgh can match any offer he receives, and he can only sign with Pittsburgh when NFL training camp begins this summer.
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More recently, Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Steelers’ “patience could be starting to wear thin” with Rodgers. While the club knows he is the best starting quarterback option for 2026, they do want an answer from the 42-year-old quarterback soon.
If Rodgers decides to retire or the team even moves on from him, it stands to reason that Mason Rudolph would be the Steelers starting quarterback in Week 1 with Drew Allar and Will Howard also both seeing the field in 2026.
