The remaking of the Pittsburgh Steelers is fully underway. Not only has Mike Tomlin left the building after almost 20 years at the helm, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers may not stick around to be a part of the rebuild due to his advanced age.
With Rodgers, 42, looking his age as he was overwhelmed by the mighty Houston Texans defense, it became clear that he doesn't have the juice needed to elevate this team to Super Bowl contender territory. Even ownership is preparing for the possibility that Rodgers is done in Pittsburgh.
Steelers president Art Rooney II said that Rodgers came to Pittsburgh, in part, to play for Tomlin. Rooney said that Tomlin no longer being in town will "most likely affect his decision" to play in 2026 or not. That isn't exactly a strong endorsement.
With Rodgers taking a step back, Tomlin vacating the head coaching position, and the roster now emphatically confirmed to be a few ticks shy of a championship contender, it makes sense for all parties involved for the Steelers to look for options under center that are a bit younger and have higher upside than trying to squeeze in another ring run for Rodgers.
Aaron Rodgers may be unlikely to return to Steelers in 2026 after Mike Tomlin news
Rodgers threw for 24 touchdowns against just seven interceptions while guiding the Steelers to an AFC North title. However, much like his 2024 season with the Jets, the raw box score numbers don't illustrate how far down the quarterback totem pole Rodgers has fallen.
Rodgers' yards per attempt and air yards per attempts were the lowest among qualified starters in the league, showing that he is placing an undue emphasis on getting the ball out of his hands quickly. The mobility that made him so deadly in Green Bay appears to have eroded away with time.
While the Steelers may be better off not tieing the first non-Tomlin season in almost 20 years to a player who will turn 43 years old in December, the options to replace him are grim. The free agent market doesn't have many difference-makers, and the 2026 NFL Draft is thin in terms of quarterback prospects.
The Rodgers experiment produced some wins, but not the postseason breakthrough this fanbase expected. It seems more likely than ever that Rodgers' Hall of Fame career is going to end on a sour note after getting crushed by Houston.