Football fans have put Aaron Rodgers under the microscope over the years, thanks to his blunt personality in the spotlight. Meanwhile, they questioned whether teammates enjoyed playing with him. The latest report suggests there was only one overwhelming feeling from his Pittsburgh Steelers teammates after inking a one-year deal to return to the team.
On Monday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter joined The Pat McAfee Show to discuss the return of Rodgers—specifically, how teammates feel about the 42-year-old quarterback. Schefter insisted that all of Rodgers' teammates were on the same page: they wanted the four-time MVP back for another year.
"As we talked about in those exit meetings, the players all wanted Aaron Rodgers back for the season, and they've gotten their wish now. He's back for one more, at least.
It was interesting that Schefter left Rodgers' tenure in Pittsburgh up in the air—not completely closing the door on the aging QB returning for an additional season in 2027. And considering how much this team values stability and winning seasons, we can't rule anything out.
After Schefter spoke on Steelers teammates being on the same page with Rodgers' return, McAfee attempted to put any remaining questions about Rodgers' character to rest.
"There's been a lot of narratives about who he is, everything about him. There's been a lot of narratives about who he is as a person. Everybody but one teammate, basically, has come out publicly and said, 'Nah, we love him, dude. He's an absolute dog. We love everything about him.' I'm appreciative of the fact that he's getting the chance to run it back over there in Pittsburgh with Mike McCarthy."
Pittsburgh Steelers fans don't feel the same way as the players about Aaron Rodgers' return
It's not hard to understand why the vast majority of Steelers players were begging for Rodgers to return for another season. With a depleted QB market and an overall poor quarterback draft class, Rodgers has been one of the best remaining options since free agency.
Team leaders and veterans like Cam Heyward, T.J. Watt, and Jalen Ramsey are all in their 30s, and the last thing they want to do is go full-rebuild mode by starting over and taking their lumps with a rookie quarterback.
Unfortunately, players and fans don't feel the same way about Rodgers.
While players are focused on having a successful 2026 to advance their careers and give themselves a shot at winning the division, many fans are more concerned bout about the future of the franchise and building the roster the right way, rather than being about the team trying to keep their head above water for the 2026 season.
Let's be honest, this team didn't come close to resembling a Super Bowl contender last season. Though Rodgers did a good job protecting the football last year, his lack of playmaking ability in the passing game proved to be the Achilles heel of the offense.
Many thought that Rodgers' despicable performance in the Wild Card round of the playoffs would have been enough to end this experiment after one season, but that ultimately proved not to be the case.
Like it or not, the players and team decision-makers got their wish: Aaron Rodgers is returning for one more season. Let's hope it amounts to something this time around.
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