If you were holding out hope for the Pittsburgh Steelers to turn the page and look ahead to the next chapter at quarterback, you'll have to wait one more year. If you were part of the camp that wanted Aaron Rodgers to return for one last hurrah, you just got your wish.
The Steelers made their intentions clear throughout the offseason—get Rodgers back for one more year. Mission accomplished.
While Steelers fans won't get a look at Will Howard or Drew Allar on the field for a regular-season game this year, barring a Rodgers injury, there's never been a question that Rodgers gives this team its best shot to win games and compete in 2026.
Rodgers, 42, will rejoin a roster that includes Cameron Heyward (who is 37 years old), T.J. Watt (31), and Jalen Ramsey (31). The most notable players on the Steelers' roster are all aging veterans, and the team's decision-makers decided to keep this core around for one last shot in 2026.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could make one last run with an aging roster
There was at least a case to be made as to why the Steelers should have released Jalen Ramsey during the 2026 offseason, and trading T.J. Watt wasn't the craziest thought. But with Rodgers returning, there's zero sense in shipping off Pittsburgh's seasoned veterans who can help them win right now.
Rodgers will turn 43 late in the 2026 season, and it's safe to assume that this will be his last year in the NFL (or at least with the Steelers). Meanwhile, a 37-year-old Cam Heyward could elect to hang up his cleats after his 16th NFL season, while Watt and Ramsey—who both turn 32 early in the year—are on the downside of their primes.
By next offseason, this Steelers roster could look entirely different. But for now, the Steelers are going to give it everything they've got.
Rodgers doesn't have the athletic traits or the ability to extend plays like he once did, but he still has a big arm and knows how to take care of the football. While it's hard to believe in the Steelers as serious contenders, there are enough moving parts to inspire hope.
With new head coach Mike McCarthy at the helm, it's possible that Rodgers' performance could take a step up in 2026, despite his age. McCarthy is a brilliant offensive mind who should have an immediate impact on the passing game. The Steelers also have a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham, who could offer a spark that former DC Teryl Austin couldn't seem to find.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to avoid a decade-long drought without a playoff win, and bringing back Aaron Rodgers for one last run with an aging core of key veterans gives this team the best chance to finally find postseason success.
And if it doesn't work this time around, the Steelers should be fully prepared to tear this team down to the studs and build the roster the right way.
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