The Pittsburgh Steelers have found their quarterback for the 2026 season. Aaron Rodgers re-signed with Pittsburgh, landing a one-year contract worth $25 million. Rodgers will team up with head coach Mike McCarthy once again, but it will not be the same as their time together in Green Bay.
ESPN's Ben Solak shared his thoughts on the Rodgers signing in a recent article. He made it clear that McCarthy needs to adjust his offense to fit the 2026 version of Rodgers.
“The Rodgers that McCarthy inherits now cannot do what that old Rodgers did. Yes, he can still change the plays at the line — but he won't be able to bail the offense out of broken plays or create explosives on extended dropbacks,” Solak wrote. “As such, McCarthy needs to build an offense that still gets the ball out of Rodgers' hands quickly … but actually attacks all three levels of the field. This is much easier said than done.”
Rodgers can no longer produce broken plays with his legs like Mahomes. Instead, McCarthy and the offensive coaching staff need to put Rodgers in positions to succeed based on scheme. Otherwise, they won't be getting the most out of Rodgers.
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Solak also declared that the Steelers need to get better at running the ball in 2026. He noted that Pittsburgh passed the ball more than expected over the past two seasons.
“Ideally, a commitment to the rushing attack is accompanied by more under-center alignments, which jives with the Shanahan lean in the passing game,” Solak concluded. “This way, Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren can run downhill behind what is truly a spectacular young line in Pittsburgh.”
It will be fascinating to see how Pittsburgh structures their new-look offense with the knowledge that Rodgers will be running the show.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have found their quarterback for the 2026 season. Aaron Rodgers re-signed with Pittsburgh, landing a one-year contract worth $25 million. Rodgers will team up with head coach Mike McCarthy once again, but it will not be the same as their time together in Green Bay.