What are the Pittsburgh Steelers going to do at quarterback in 2026? One option was to run it back with Aaron Rodgers, who signed on just a one-year deal last summer. That option, however, might have taken a hit after a recent report.
According to Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Rodgers might end up walking away from football altogether this offseason.
"Having spoken to people who were around him, who have been around him, most everyone that I've spoken to who has been around him feels that the chance that he comes back to play is minuscule, so you take that for what it's worth," Kinkhabwala said during the appearance on Wednesday.
"In conversations with people who were around him all year, who were with him when he was leaving the Steelers when the season was over, all of those people that I spoke to said that it seems far more likely that he is done than that he is going to return."
It sure sounds like Aaron Rodgers is leaning toward retirement
If this ends up happening, that means the Steelers have one less quarterback option for the 2026 season. They hold the 21st pick in the draft, and this is a weak quarterback draft class, so that's not a great option to lean on.
As for free agents or trade options, the market is also bleak there. Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa are both options, but they'll be expensive contracts to take on, and Pittsburgh would also have to part with some draft picks. Plus, there's a reason Murray and Tagovailoa are available via trade, and it's because they both wore out their welcomes in Arizona and Miami, respectively.
The Steelers could also look to add someone like Malik Willis, but he doesn't have much starting experience. The good news is that Mike McCarthy is known as a quarterback developer, so perhaps he could work his magic on Willis if that's who the Steelers ended up bringing in.
Maybe this report ends up being false, and Rodgers still opts to return for another season, but Rodgers is 42 years old. It'd make sense if he decided to finally call it a career. We'll have to see if this report ends up being true and Rodgers is done, or if he wants to come back and run it back in Pittsburgh.