PITTSBURGH — Another offseason of Aaron Rodgers uncertainty is finally over for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On Saturday, the veteran quarterback agreed to terms on a one-year contract, league sources told The Athletic. The deal reunites the four-time MVP and Super Bowl XLV champion with Mike McCarthy, his coach for 13 seasons in Green Bay, who was hired by Pittsburgh in January.
For months, the Steelers anticipated this would be Rodgers’ decision; they just never imagined it would take so long to arrive at this destination. Back at the NFL Scouting Combine in late February, Steelers general manager Omar Khan said he didn’t foresee the process dragging out like it did a year ago, when Rodgers waited until mandatory minicamp in June to officially sign. It turned out to be remarkably similar. Initially, the team believed the QB would give his answer around the start of free agency in March. Then, team president and owner Art Rooney II said publicly he expected to have word before the NFL Draft.
When those dates came and went, the Steelers moved goalposts one more time, hoping to get an answer before the first OTA on May 18. After twice thinking they knew when Rodgers would make his decision, only to go 0-for-2, the Steelers placed the unrestricted free agent tender on the QB to ensure they’d get a compensatory draft pick if he surprised them by going elsewhere.
Throughout it all, everyone — from players to decision makers — maintained a level of confidence that Rodgers would return for a second season in Pittsburgh. Team decision-makers underscored this internal belief with their public actions. They remained committed to the current window by extending a now 37-year-old defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and by bringing in other veterans like 28-year-old receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and 29-year-old corner Jamel Dean. Beyond that, the Steelers also chose not to seriously explore outside quarterback options like Kyler Murray and Malik Willis.
Rodgers returns for his 22nd and, presumably, final NFL season — a chance to write one last chapter alongside McCarthy. Though last year was also thought to be Rodgers’ farewell season. Shortly after he signed a one-year deal with the Steelers, he explained on the Pat McAfee Show that after two tumultuous years with the New York Jets, he was looking for a more fitting final chapter in Pittsburgh alongside former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
“I’m pretty sure this is it,” Rodgers said last summer. “This was really just about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I’ve had.”
The Steelers won four of their final five games, claiming the AFC North title with a thrilling Week 18 victory over the Ravens; Rodgers played many of his best games when the team needed them most. When he was asked about his future ahead of the regular-season finale, Rodgers kept the door open.
“Listen, I’m thinking about this week, but obviously I’m 42 years old, and I’m on a one-year deal, so you know what the situation is,” Rodgers said in late December. “Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent, so that will give me a lot of options, if I still want to play … I mean, not a lot of options, but there’ll be options.”
When Tomlin stepped down in early January, it appeared Rodgers’ chances of returning to Pittsburgh diminished greatly. Rooney acknowledged that “Aaron came here to play for Mike (Tomlin).”
The dynamics changed when the Steelers hired McCarthy. During his introductory news conference, the new coach made it clear he was open to a reunion, saying that he “definitely” wanted Rodgers back in 2026. The Steelers also hired a number of former Green Bay assistants, including offensive line coach James Campen, who has a strong relationship with Rodgers.
“I don’t see why you wouldn’t (want Rodgers back),” McCarthy said on Jan. 27. “I watched most of the Pittsburgh games on TV. I thought he was a great asset for the team.”
The other important part of this conversation is the 2026 draft class. Like the QB himself, the Steelers thought that Rodgers would be with the team for just one season. Uninspired by the 2025 rookie options, the Steelers saw Rodgers as a bridge to the 2026 draft class and stockpiled a league-high 12 picks, enough to make an aggressive move up the board to land a first-round quarterback.
However, a QB class that was once considered loaded with early-round talent fell apart, thwarting those plans and resulting in the Steelers being open to a second season with Rodgers. Ultimately, Fernando Mendoza went to the Las Vegas Raiders as the first pick, and the Los Angeles Rams selected Ty Simpson at No. 13. However, even if Simpson had been available, the Steelers were significantly deterred by his limited college experience and were not planning to draft him in the first round.
Instead, the Steelers spent a third-round pick on Penn State’s Drew Allar, a quarterback with exceptional arm talent but also plenty of holes in his game. While the Steelers hope to unlock Allar’s upside, there’s a benefit to the rookie learning under Rodgers, who was a willing mentor to Steelers 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard last year and Green Bay’s Jordan Love before that.
Whether it’s Howard, Allar or a 2027 first-round pick as the Steelers’ quarterback in 2027, the team has now kicked that can down the road. Time will tell if Rodgers can be more than just a one-year stop-gap solution for a team that needs a long-term answer, and if he can be the one to lift the Steelers to their first playoff victory in a decade.
Jeff Howe contributed to this story.