Aaron Rodgers continues to hold off on his retirement decision, and nobody in the world knows if the four-time NFL MVP will suit up in 2026. Following a short-lived stint with the New York Jets, the former first-round pick spent the 2025 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and helped the team reach the playoffs in what would be Mike Tomlin’s final year at the helm. Starting and appearing in 16 games, the veteran finished the year completing 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.<\/p>\n
It goes without saying that Aaron Rodgers is not the player he once was, but the future Hall of Famer is still a starting-caliber quarterback. He’s very much a year-to-year player at this point, and everyone knew he’d need some time to decide on his future in the offseason. However, just about everyone thought he would have made a decision at this point, and\u00a0The Athletic<\/em>‘s Michael Silver<\/a> reports the Steelers are beginning to get a little antsy.<\/p>\n “They’re praying Rodgers, who will turn 43 this season, will get back in the ring to take another swing,” Silver writes. “Otherwise – at least on paper – they don’t seem to have a puncher’s chance of getting back to the playoffs.”<\/p>\n Aaron Rodgers may not be the player he once was, and he definitely won’t win another MVP in this lifetime, but he’s clearly the best option the Steelers have. He’s an all-time great at the position, and it’s clear the Steelers do not believe in rebuilding<\/a>. This franchise would much rather try to win as many games as it can in any given season rather than embrace one or two subpar years, and Rodgers gives this team the best chance at reaching the playoffs.<\/p>\n Even with Mike Tomlin gone<\/a>, the Steelers are still doing what they can to be competitive in 2026. Rather than hiring a high-risk, high-reward head coach, the team decided to go with a proven leader in Mike McCarthy. Like Tomlin, McCarthy has a track record of success and, while he may not be the most exciting hire, he brings with him a base level of confidence. Of course, his familiarity with Rodgers doesn’t hurt either, as the two won a Super Bowl together with the Green Bay Packers.<\/p>\n For what it’s worth, Aaron Rodgers was in Pittsburgh recently, but he didn’t meet with the team. Rodgers has a flair for the dramatic, so look for him to keep dragging out this decision.<\/p>\n If Aaron Rodgers decides to call it a career, the Steelers will move forward with veteran Mason Rudolph, second-year quarterback Will Howard<\/a>, and Penn State rookie Drew Allar<\/a>. Rudolph is far and away the most proven option of the bunch, having filled in multiple times throughout the past few seasons. While he’s nobody’s idea of a franchise quarterback, he’s one of the league’s better backups and can keep the ship afloat if the young passers leave something to be desired. Will Howard is a former sixth-round pick who didn’t play in the regular season last year but reportedly impressed on the sidelines. If he can turn his off-field success into on-field production, he could earn the starting job.<\/p>\n Drew Allar is perhaps the most interesting player on this list. The Penn State product was receiving first-round buzz at this point last year, but an injury-riddled final season caused his draft stock to plummet. Is he really as underwhelming as he looked last year, or did his back injury significantly impact his ability to push the ball downfield? Only time will tell for sure, but he offers some long-term hope at the position if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Aaron Rodgers has yet to make a decision on his football future, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are praying he suits up for one more season<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2376,"featured_media":283065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":true,"sfio_embed_code":"Steelers “Praying” Aaron Rodgers Returns In 2026<\/h2>\n
Other Quarterback Options<\/h3>\n