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Ian Rapoport shuts down Aaron Rodgers, Cardinals rumors, will only play for Steelers

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko05/06/26nickkosko59

NFL insider Ian Rapoport shut down any rumors of Aaron Rodgers potentially playing for the Arizona Cardinals this season. If Rodgers returns to play in 2026, it’ll be with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Current Cardinals starter Jacoby Brissett is holding out of voluntary team workouts in the hopes for a new contract. Arizona also drafted Miami QB Carson Beck in April, so the room could be quite thin, leading to rumors of the team trying to bring in Rodgers.

Well, that’s not happening according to Rapoport. Especially with the Steelers’ ability to match any offer that could come Rodgers’ way, if he wants to play again.

“No legs for that one,” Rapoport said Wednesday on The Pat McAfee Show. “Certainly don’t expect it. Sorry to disappoint everyone. Don’t expect that. Do I expect him to sign in Arizona? I expect if he is going to play, to play for Pittsburgh. And you know, you’re sort of getting to that point where you’d really like an answer, but we’re in the same situation we’ve been, which is that, like, it’s Aaron Rodgers. 

“So you don’t want to be like, ‘hey, we need an answer,’ because he might go, ‘no you don’t.’ And they don’t. They would like one. I would like one. Everybody would like one, but you sort of don’t. So when he decides to play football, if he decides to play football, I expect it to be for the Steelers. I expected to be for the contract where they sort of figure it out based on the UFA tag. You’d sort of like it to be before OTAs or at least mini camp, and that’s getting to be pretty close here.”

In 2025, Rodgers posted solid numbers for the Steelers, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He led Pittsburgh to an AFC North division crown and a Wild Card round appearance in the playoffs.

If Rodgers plays for the Steelers, he would be reunited with Mike McCarthy, who is the new head coach. McCarthy was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2006 to 2018 and led Rodgers and the squad to a Super Bowl win in 2010.

Rodgers is on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when his career is officially over. Along with a Super Bowl title, the 42-year-old won the NFL MVP award four times and has been selected to the Pro Bowl 10 times.