The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a familiar spot: waiting to see if Aaron Rodgers will be the team’s quarterback. While a lot has changed for the franchise in the last year, this waiting cycle is pretty identical, and no one knows when the world will get Rodgers’ decision.
Just like last offseason, a decision has taken so long that people have started to squeeze other teams into the picture. This year, the other team is the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals, seemingly out of nowhere, have recently been mentioned as a possible destination for Rodgers if he wants to continue playing.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday and was asked about this rumor, and he quickly put it to bed. Just as everyone thought, Rapoport said Rodgers isn’t going to Arizona. The expectation is that the veteran quarterback will either play for the Steelers or retire.
"I certainly don't expect Aaron Rodgers to sign with Arizona..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 6, 2026
If he's going to play I expect it to be for the Pittsburgh Steelers" ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/z3uHlGDNuh
Ian Rapoport pours water on Aaron Rodgers to Cardinals rumor
This isn’t a surprising update, because no one really thought Rodgers would join the Cardinals. Simply put, the quarterback and Arizona are on two completely different timelines. Arizona is a pretty bad team at the beginning of a rebuild, and Rodgers is a quarterback at the end of his career, hoping to go out with a title. Nothing about that partnership would make sense.
While Rapoport feels comfortable saying that the future Hall of Famer isn’t going to Arizona, he didn’t have anything else to add to the conversation. While expressing that Rodgers is deciding between retirement and another year with the Steelers, the insider is just like everyone else in that he has no idea when a decision is coming. He would like to know as soon as possible, but he understands that Rodgers is in control of the timeline.
That’s why everyone is just sitting back and waiting, even the Steelers. While Pittsburgh does have a full quarterback room with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and the recently drafted Drew Allar, they will all bump down the depth chart if Rodgers returns. The question now is, how soon will they all learn their standing? With OTA practices approaching, the hope is sooner rather than later.
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