NFL insider believes Aaron Rodgers could have a change of heart regarding his future with the Pittsburgh Steelers
2026 could suddenly look different.
Shortly after Aaron Rodgers made his decision to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he made an appearance on ESPN with his good buddies on the Pat McAfee Show. Within that interview came the question of whether or not 2025 would be Rodgers’ last year in the NFL.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is it,” said Rodgers back in June. “That’s why we just did a one-year deal. Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on that or anything, so this was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I’ve had.”
Yet here we are, nearing the midway point of the season, and Rodgers looks better than ever. Despite a crushing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers sit atop the AFC North at 4-2. And if the Steelers get their way, they will be back in the same position this time next year, and with the same QB.
Steelers would like Aaron Rodgers back in 2026
“The Steelers will scour the draft market for the QB of the future, for sure. They are already doing so. But if you ask people with the team whether they’d entertain the notion of Rodgers in the black-and-gold in 2026, the answer would be a resounding yes. He has maintained his elite ability to throw the football.” – Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
There is no need to talk about any game outside of Cincinnati to prove that Rodgers is still one of the best pure throwers of the football in the league. He threw a cross-body, back-of-the-endzone TD on the move to Jonnu Smith. His Hail Mary attempt was the furthest a ball traveled in the air since 2017, and his go-ahead TD throw to Pat Freiermuth just about took the laces off the football.
So we know that Rodgers can still play, and we know the Steelers would like to have him back. But what about Rodgers? Could he have the change of heart that Fowler suggests? Would the Steelers be able to persuade him to come back? I would say his comments from Wednesday can help answer those questions. . .
“Mike [Tomlin] made it appealing to me, but I was around Pittsburgh people my entire football career, starting with Mike McCarthy for 13 years,” said Rodgers on what makes Pittsburgh so appealing. “Mike’s from Greenfield and his love for this city and how he talked about it, and playing with Dom Caperson the staff, Darren Perry, Kevin Greene, Ben McAdoo in my room, Frank Cignetti, Luke Getsy, Alex Van Pelt, you know, a lot of people from this area.”
“So, I knew a lot about it [Pittsburgh] just from talking to those guys. I knew what a great sports town it is, what a great tradition the Steelers have, and that was definitely a part of it. But like I said, Mike T was the first reason.”
Something tells me, if this level of play keeps up from Rodgers and the Steelers can perform at or above their expectations, we will see Mike Tomlin push long and hard to have Rodgers back in black in 2026.
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