The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away, and the Pittsburgh Steelers still don't know who their quarterback will be in their first year under new head coach Mike McCarthy. It is still widely expected that Aaron Rodgers will return for at least one more season and reunite with his former HC, but he seemingly hasn't made a final decision about his future.
Fans are justifiably anxious to know how this ordeal will play out, especially how lengthy the wait for him to sign was last offseason. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac, we may have an idea of how much longer this saga will last.
Team owner Art Rooney II gave Dulac an update on when he expects Rodgers to inform the team of his plans, specifically that it will be before the start of the draft.
“I still expect that,” team owner/president Art Rooney II said. “I expect we’ll get an answer before the draft.”
Pittsburgh Steelers fans may learn of Aaron Rodgers' intentions sooner rather than later
While it's a good sign that Rooney believes the Steelers will have an answer from Rodgers before the draft comes to Pittsburgh, it's also a reminder that they missed out on finding a potential QB solution during free agency.
I don't want to speak for all Steelers fans, but the discourse surrounding Rodgers is beyond tiresome at this point. He is no longer the QB who won four MVP's and dominated nearly every statistical category during the 2010's. Is he still the best option for 2026 if they want to be as competitive as possible? Probably, yes. But allowing Rodgers to bide his time kept them from chasing alternative options like Kyler Murray or Malik Willis.
Maybe general manager Omar Khan wouldn't have had interest in those options even if Rodgers chose not to come back. Or he may have looked to the trade market for someone like Geno Smith. Either way, Rodgers' remaining undecided impacted his ability to prepare for the reality where he hangs up his cleats.
Ultimately, though, none of that will matter much if the former league MVP returns for a 22nd season. It feels inevitable, between the McCarthy reunion story and the clear intent to compete in 2026. If he does choose to call it quits before the start of the draft, all eyes will be on the Steelers to see if they choose to address QB early in response.