Aaron Rodgers
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ESPN's Brooke Pryor reported the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers continue to engage in positive conversations.
The second week of NFL free agency is about to start. Yet, the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have a definitive answer on whether Aaron Rodgers will return for the 2026 season.
But the team is getting good signs from the veteran quarterback.
That’s what ESPN’s Brooke Pryor implied with her Sunday update on Rodgers and the Steelers’ offseason quarterback plan.
“Though Rodgers hasn’t given the Steelers a concrete answer on his future, the two sides continue to engage in positive conversations, and Rodgers is aware of the ongoing roster construction,” Pryor wrote. “And if he doesn’t return, the Steelers’ moves would also work well for second-year quarterback Will Howard, who won a national championship at Ohio State with the help of a dominant defense and physical run game.”
Early in the offseason, Steelers beat reporters such as Mark Kaboly and national insiders such as Ian Rapoport argued the team would have a decision from Rodgers before NFL free agency began. But that didn’t happen.
The league’s legal tampering period began on March 9 while free agents started signing contracts on March 11.
Yet, Rodgers remains unsigned. The quarterback’s last public comments on his playing status came on March 4 during an interview on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show.
“There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me. There’s no contract offer or anything. So, there’s nothing that I’m having to debate between,” said Rodgers. “I’m a free agent and, again, I’m enjoying my time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason.
Signs Point to Aaron Rodgers, Steelers Reunion for 2026?
While pundits and Steelers general manager Omar Khan previously stated Rodgers’s free agency wouldn’t go as it did last year, it’s heading down that path at the moment.
Rodgers appears to be in no rush while neither do the Steelers. According to reports, or lack thereof, the team made no push to sign another quarterback in the first week of free agency.
The Steelers appear content to wait for Rodgers. But interestingly, the quarterback implied the wait isn’t all on him. According to Rodgers, the Steelers hadn’t made him a contract offer, as of March 4.
Last year, Rodgers officially signed his Pittsburgh contract on June 5.
Rodgers could still decide to retire. But if he wants to play, the safest bet is a return to the Steelers. Other quarterback-needy teams pursued other options in the first week of free agency.
The Steelers are likely interested in a Rodgers return because he remains their best option in a thin quarterback free agency and draft class.
In 2025, Rodgers led the team to a 10-6 regular season record and AFC North title. The 4-time MVP averaged 6.7 yards per pass with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Is Will Howard Plan B at Quarterback for Steelers?
Pryor’s update pointed to Rodgers and the Steelers eventually agreeing to a 2026 contract. But should that not happen, Pryor seemed to suggest the Steelers are content with Will Howard as a potential starter.
The team’s 2025 sixth-round pick, Howard hasn’t started a regular season game or made a preseason appearance in the NFL.
But a lot of analysts have raved about the 24-year-old signal-caller. During his introductory Steelers press conference, new head coach Mike McCarthy expressed how excited he was to work with Howard.
Other pundits don’t buy that hype. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio argued Friday the team boosting Howard through the media is a smokescreen in case Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is available in the first round.
Steelers insiders, though, such as Gerry Dulac and Mark Kaboly have reported the team doesn’t have much interest in Simpson as a first-round target.
Pryor didn’t address external quarterback options in her Sunday update. But her report implied the Howard hype is very much real.
That could be put to the test, though, as long as Rodgers remains unsigned.