Omar Khan isn’t putting a deadline on Aaron Rodgers’ decision to return or retire. But Khan is offering a timeline. Making the media rounds at the 2026 NFL Combine, Khan believes the Steelers, and everyone else, will know relatively soon.
“I think we’re gonna have an answer sooner rather than later,” Khan told NFL Network’s Judy Battista via editor Jeremy Bergman.
Steelers GM Omar Khan tells @judybattista there's no timeline on Rodgers decision, but…
"I think we're gonna have an answer sooner rather than later."
By free agency?
"It's fluid, I'll just say that. I don't expect this to be like it was last year." https://t.co/qwSHFBo0YZ
— Jeremy Bergman (@JABergman) February 24, 2026
While still not ironclad, it sure seems like Rodgers won’t wait until June to tell the team his plans. It’s a sentiment Khan offered during earlier meetings with the media, noting Rodgers nor the team wants the situation to “drag on” for multiple more months.
Rodgers has a good understanding of what Pittsburgh can offer, something he didn’t have a year ago until meeting the team in March and holding weekly phone calls with Mike Tomlin after. And the Steelers want to know if Rodgers is their starter or not to cement free agency plans.
If the goal is to know before free agency, that date is fast approaching. The legal tampering begins March 9th with contracts officially permitted to be signed two days later. The NFL Combine is really the first step of free agency as teams and agents begin mapping out markets and contracts. Pittsburgh doesn’t want to be in a holding pattern much longer.
Most signs point to a Rodgers’ return. However, it’s not a guarantee. Right after Pittsburgh’s season ended, the belief was Rodgers would retire. That changed once Mike McCarthy replaced Mike Tomlin. But if Rodgers wasn’t set to return for Tomlin, a coach he loved and defended, why would it be different under McCarthy?
Still, Rodgers said he felt good physically and enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh a lot more than in New York. The Steelers are welcoming Rodgers back with open arms. All he has to do is say yes.
Recommended for you