New Steelers Coach Mike McCarthy Says He’s Spoken to Aaron Rodgers ‘a Number of Times’

McCarthy spoke about his former (and potentially future) quarterback during a ‘Pat McAfee Show’ appearance Friday.

Mike McCarthy was Aaron Rodgers’s first NFL coach, and the pair won a Super Bowl with the Packers. | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

In the days since he was hired to take over his hometown Steelers, Mike McCarthy has made it clear how he feels about quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is coming off of his first season in Pittsburgh and once again weighing retirement after turning 42 in December.

When asked whether Rodgers returning to quarterback the Steelers in 2026 was his “best case scenario” during McCarthy’s first press conference as Pittsburgh coach, he answered, “Definitely.”

While owner Art Rooney II said the franchise did not hire McCarthy in hopes that it would keep Rodgers in the fold for another year, it appears that the team is certainly hoping that it is a byproduct of the move. McCarthy was Rodgers’s first NFL coach after the future Hall of Famer was drafted by the Packers; Rodgers won two of his four MVP awards under McCarthy in 2011 and ‘14, and the pair led Green Bay to a win in Super Bowl XLV over Pittsburgh.

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show Friday, McCarthy confirmed that he has spoken to Rodgers “a number of times” since taking the Steelers job, but that he’s happy to allow his former quarterback to go through his normal offseason process before making a decision on 2026.

"I have spoken to Aaron Rodgers a number of times..

Like anybody that has played the game for a long time it's important for him to decompress after the season" ~ Coach McCarthy #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/jPe4voYzku

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 30, 2026

“I’ve spoken to Aaron a number of times, but I think just like anybody that played the game a long time, particularly at this point in their career, it’s important to get away,” McCarthy said. “That’s a normal process. I think it’s important for all these players to decompress and step away from the season. And that’s really the mindset that he’s in and that’s really about as far as our conversations have gone as far as if he’s coming back or not coming back. So I think it’s important for him to do the things he normally does just to step away and make those decisions. 

“But you’re talking about every player on the roster. Obviously it’s a constant, as far as the communication between [general manager] Omar [Khan] and I, and he always has the roster board open in his office. So we’re talking about these players a number of times a day to make sure I’m getting familiar with them, and we’re just continuing to have conversation about the direction we want to go.”

Aaron Rodgers’ 2025 stats with Steelers

While Rodgers’s performance last season was a far cry from his vintage MVP form with the Packers, he was relatively effective, taking a step forward from his 2024 season with the Jets in most statistical categories. He finished the year with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, with one rushing touchdown and led Pittsburgh to a 10–6 record as starter. (Rodgers missed a November loss to the Bears).

Comp.	Att.	Comp. %	Yards	YPA	TD	Int
327	498	65.7	3,322	6.7	24	7

The Steelers were blown out by the Texans in the wild-card round, 30–6, and Rodgers was not effective, throwing for 146 yards with an interception on 17-for-33 passing.

Rodgers played on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh in 2025, and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, if he chooses to return to football.

If Rodgers elects to retire, the Steelers will have veteran backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 rookie Will Howard on roster, with the opportunity to add other players in the offseason. Given McCarthy’s familiarity with Rodgers, the pair’s repaired relationship since McCarthy’s Green Bay ouster in 2018 and the uncertainty of the quarterback market, it is no surprise that he’d like to see Rodgers back in ‘26.

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