Aaron Rodgers, who recently turned 42, may or may not return to the Pittsburgh Steelers next season. We don’t even know if he’ll play football again, for what would be his 22nd NFL season. If the Steelers do maintain their success and possibly win a playoff game for the first time since 2016, Rodgers may very well return.
Yet, if Rodgers can’t generate a playoff win, the Steelers could cast him off, much like they did with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields last offseason. If so, the Steelers would need to find another new starting quarterback.
One potential solution, as ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently suggested, could be to trade for Mac Jones from the San Francisco 49ers.
“Mac Jones is under contract with the 49ers for next year at $2.8 million, but the way he played in relief of Brock Purdy this season has people wondering what it would take to trade for him (and presumably pay him more) to come in and compete for a starting role. There are plenty of teams with unsettled 2026 quarterback situations (Colts? Steelers?) that could look to a 27-year-old former first-round pick who has been through the Kyle Shanahan career rehab program as part of their potential solution.”
ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Steelers/Mac Jones trade
Jones started eight games in relief of Brock Purdy earlier this season, leading San Francisco to a respectable 5-3 record in the process. While doing so, Jones had been posting new career-highs across the board.
Surely, another team will look at what Jones accomplished in San Francisco and will feel like he can repeat that success in their system too. It could even be Pittsburgh, whom Jones beat while with the Patriots in 2022.
Unlike Rodgers, Jones would present the Steelers with a potential long-term solution as their franchise quarterback. Remember, the former first-round pick and one-time Pro Bowl QB is still just 27 years old. That gives him plenty of time for a career renaissance.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Where’s Aaron Rodgers?
