Matt Johnson
Aaron Rodgers cried when former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin announced in his final team meeting that he was stepping away from football. With Tomlin now in sports media, he’s weighing in on who will be the Steelers starting quarterback in 2026.
In his first appearance with NBC Sports, Tomlin said that he believes Rodgers will return for the 2026 NFL season as the Steelers starting quarterback.
Read More: 2026 NFL Power Rankings, See Where Steelers Rank
A bit more intrigue was added to the situation over the weekend when Pittsburgh used the 76th overall pick on Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. It provided head coach Mike McCarthy with another option, giving him a quarterback room of Allar, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
However, the general expectation around the league has been that Rodgers would return for another season. He still has a solid relationship with McCarthy, and his familiarity with the new Steelers coach was seen as a small part of the reason for the hiring.
“I think Aaron is probably more in tune than we would realize. But I have confidence in where he would be the day he would arrive, if that’s his decision.”
Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike McCarthy on Aaron Rodgers’ readiness to play if he reports late (via Mike DeFabo)
Related: Steelers May Be in Trouble for NFL Draft Tactics
What seems likely to happen is that Rodgers, who is entering his age-42 season, won’t make a decision until the summer. While he attended OTAs last June, that was his first season with the team. Now that he would be the returning starter and has rapport with DK Metcalf, it’s possible he could wait until Steelers training camp to report.
