3 Biggest Winners of Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Return

With Aaron Rodgers officially back in the fold, the focus can turn from him being seen at Kool Cones and rumors of him golfing to what he'll bring to the field in 2026 for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rodgers should put the Steelers in a position to push for a playoff spot yet again, and there are a few players and coaches who will gain a ton from him being behind center.

With that, here are the three biggest winners of Rodgers' return to Pittsburgh.

Mike McCarthy

From the moment McCarthy was hired as Mike Tomlin’s successor, a Rodgers reunion always felt inevitable.

After spending over a decade together with the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to 2018, during which they won Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers, the pair is set to reunite and will look to turn back the clock.

For as much as McCarthy has talked up Pittsburgh’s pair of young quarterbacks in Will Howard and Drew Allar, Rodgers was always the team’s best option behind center strictly based on their chances of competing for a playoff spot in 2026.

Rodgers knows how to run McCarthy’s offense, even if he hasn’t played in it for eight years, and he should act as a conduit for the first-year head coach while providing him with the best chance of succeeding right off the bat.

Steelers WR Corps

Whether it was intentional or not, the Steelers’ offseason moves created an offensive infrastructure that lessened the pressure on Rodgers and gave him more leeway as he enters his age-43 campaign.

The team's wide receiver corps towards the end of the 2025 season was comprised of DK Metcalf, a 35-year-old Adam Thielen, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Calvin Austin III, the latter of whom Rodgers was never quite on the same page with.

Now, though, Rodgers has Michael Pittman Jr. and second-rounder Germie Bernard to throw to in addition to Metcalf, which represents Pittsburgh's best assemly of talent at the position in recent years.

For as much as Rodgers benefits from having those guys as targets, they're working at an advantage playing alongside the four-time MVP as well.

Rodgers might not have much left in the tank, and his arm isn't nearly as strong as it once was, but he's still an accurate quarterback from the pocket who can be trusted to find the likes of Metcalf, Pittman Jr. and Bernard at all levels of the field and keep the offense trucking.

Darnell Washington

Washington recorded just 261 yards on 26 catches over the first two seasons of his career in Pittsburgh.

Pat Freiermuth has always profiled as the more gifted receiving option of the two tight ends, with him taking more snaps from the slot than inline while Washington was more of an inline blocker.

You're never going to see Washington line up from the slot, but he became a safety blanket for Rodgers throughout the 2025 campaign and was almost more of a preferred target than Freiermuth was at times.

Washington, in 16 games, posted 364 yards and a touchdown on 31 receptions, while Freiermuth had 486 yards and four scores on 41 catches.

It's unlikely that Washington will ever outproduce Freiermuth, but the former should remain more involved in the passing offense with Rodgers than he would with most other quarterbacks.

Washington can also help himself out from a contract perspective should he not sign an extension this offseason if he continues to be productive as a receiver for a second-straight campaign.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI, and find our podcast All Steelers Talk on YouTube or anywhere you listen!

Add us as a preferred source on Google