The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t heard from quarterback Aaron Rodgers on whether he’ll be back to the team for the 2026-27 season, and that’s troubling. But, it’s also very classic Rodgers.
Now, former Green Bay Packers teammate A.J. Hawk is trying to get him to end this drama. On Monday, March 23, Hawk stated on The Pat McAfee Show that he’s been sending text messages to Rodgers saying that the quarterback needs to go back to Pittsburgh and get back with Mike McCarthy.
“No joke, I’ve been sending him texts telling him, ‘Hey, you got to go back. You need to play for Pittsburgh, you need to play for Big Mike. He’ll either say shut up or nothing,” Hawk said on the show.
Host McAfee also said that he’s been telling Rodgers to sign with the Steelers. “I’ve been texting him and saying, ‘Hey, the yinzers would love to have you back. They’d like to know right now,'” McAfee said.
Rodgers said previously on The Pat McAfee Show that he’s in touch with general manager Omar Khan and McCarthy but that there’s no contract or no deal. “There’s conversations to be had down the line, but right now, there has not been any progressive conversations,” Rodgers said on the show.
Rodgers also said that he’s been spending time with his wife, who he still hasn’t appeared with publicly. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with my wife, we went on a ski trip, been laying low,” Rodgers said. “I’ve talked to Mike [McCarthy}, I’ve talked to Omar. There’s no deadline put in front of me, no contract offer to debate between. I’m a free agent.”
Rodgers was with the Packers for 13 years with McCarthy, so it would be a homecoming. The Steelers also has more ex-Packers coaches, including offensive line coach James Campen. “I’d be lying if I didn't say that was something that I enjoyed seeing,” Rodgers said on the show. “All those guys getting back together. It's some of the guys that had the greatest impact on my career.”
So, now we wait. But, the Steelers better know soon, because whether or not Rodgers comes back will impact their 2026 NFL draft picks.
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