Aaron Rodgers
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NFL reporter Andrew Siciliano questioned whether the Pittsburgh Steelers really want quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return for the 2026 NFL season.
Analysts and fans have worked under the assumption that whether Aaron Rodgers returns to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026 is entirely his decision.
But is that really the case? NFL reporter Andrew Siciliano argued it might not be while appearing on “Heed the Call NFL Podcast” on Wednesday.
“I am not entirely convinced that the Steelers want Rodgers back,” said Siciliano. “When he went on McAfee a couple of weeks ago, Rodgers did so a day after the Kyler Murray news broke.
“He said there’s no deadline because there’s no offer. Are we entirely sure the Steelers want Aaron Rodgers?”
That would be a new twist in the Steelers quarterback situation that no one has really previously suggested. But it might explain a couple things if that were the case.
Aaron Rodgers Doesn’t Have a Contract Offer
Siciliano referenced The Pat McAfee Show appearance Rodgers did on March 4. As Siciliano mentioned, Rodgers clearly stated he doesn’t have a contract offer.
“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,” Rodgers told McAfee. “I’m a free agent and, again, I’m enjoying my time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason.”
It’s possible the Steelers don’t want to offer the 42-year-old quarterback a contract until he has decided he wants to play. That would prevent the Steelers from getting turned down from the quarterback.
In a way, that doesn’t make a lot of sense because fans and pundits are already working under the assumption that the Steelers want Rodgers back. But maybe the Steelers haven’t offered the contract so they can change that narrative should Rodgers retire.
Without a submitted contract offer, the Steelers can fall back on the idea that they didn’t really want him.
The other possibility, though, is analysts have the Rodgers situation backwards — it’s the Steelers deciding whether they want the 42-year-old quarterback to return.
Are the Steelers Going to Draft a Quarterback in 2026?
The Steelers haven’t reportedly shown any interest in free agent quarterbacks. The assumption has been the team is waiting on Rodgers.
But the Steelers already have two quarterbacks under contract — Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. They really only have one spot left in the QB room.
Drafting a quarterback and re-signing Rodgers would result in the Steelers probably parting with either Rudolph or Howard.
So, if the Steelers intend to draft a quarterback, it would probably be better not to also have Rodgers. That is, unless the team accepts losing Rudolph or Howard.
Most team insiders have reported the Steelers won’t target a first-round quarterback. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on March 2 the earliest the Steelers could take a signal-caller is the third round.
If one believes Siciliano’s theory about Rodgers, though, that could all be a smokescreen. Steelers Depot’s Jake Brockhoff explained how.
“If the Steelers want to take a quarterback early in the draft, it makes sense to have the NFL world thinking they’re focused on Rodgers instead,” Brockhoff wrote. “Omar Khan and Mike McCarthy have repeatedly talked about bringing Rodgers back.
“There’s a solid chance that’s genuine, but during the months of March and April, you can never trust what any NFL team says.”
If that’s the situation, the Steelers could see bringing back Rodgers as a wait-and-see scenario.
If the quarterback they want in the draft is available, then they wouldn’t really have space for the 42-year-old. But should that rookie signal-caller be gone, then the Steelers could circle back on re-signing Rodgers.