Steelers Won't Have to Wait Long for Aaron Rodgers Answer

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't feel like they'll be in for another long wait as it relates to Aaron Rodgers.

While speaking with reporters at the NFL Combine, Steelers general manager Omar Khan stated that there is currently no deadline for a decision from Rodgers on his future while noting that he doesn't expect the situation to drag out much like it did a year ago.

“No deadline,” Khan said. “All I’ll tell you guys is I don’t foresee this going like it did last year.”

Furthermore, Khan added that both he and new head coach Mike McCarthy, who served in that same role for the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to 2018 and worked hand-in-hand with Rodgers, have been in communication with the four-time MVP.

When asked if he'd prefer an answer before the legal tampering period of free agency begins on March 9, Khan once again reiterated that there is no cutoff point for when a potential agreement would have to be reached and that Rodgers' stay on the open market won't last as long as it did last time around.

“I don’t really want to say it has to be done by then,” Khan said. “I’d like to have an idea, but this isn’t gonna go like it did last year.”

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) fires off a pass during the first half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rodgers' 2025 Season

Last offseason, Rodgers waited until June to officially sign a one-year deal with the Steelers despite that outcome seeming inevitable for right around three months.

The 42-year-old went on to lead the team to their first AFC North title since 2020 while throwing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, though they bowed out in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the Houston Texans.

Rodgers' chances of returning to Pittsburgh lowered significantly upon Mike Tomlin stepping down, though the hiring of McCarthy has seemingly swung those odds back in the Steelers' favor.

Will Rodgers Return, and is that What's Best for Steelers?

Simply based upon reading the tea leaves and gauging the temperature from the outside looking in, it feels more likely than not that Rodgers will make his way back to Pittsburgh for the 2026 campaign.

CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala went against that notion during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan last week, however, stating that "the chance that he comes back to play is minuscule."

The situation is fluid, but the general sense is that Rodgers is open to suiting up for another year and reuniting with McCarthy in Pittsburgh.

The possibility of retirement can't be discounted, though it would come as a surprise if he were to play for another team outside of the Steelers next season.

A potential Rodgers return would provide some continuity behind center, and he played at a high enough level that there shouldn't be too much doubt about his ability to command the offense once again despite being a year older.

Though Will Howard is an intriguing option down the line, and a free agent quarterback such as Malik Willis also looms as a possible target, bringing Rodgers back would help Pittsburgh remain competitive and allow it to shift the focus to the rest of the roster for the remainder of the offseason.

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