Steelers president Art Rooney II addresses Aaron Rodgers' future in Pittsburgh after 2026 NFL Draft

The Aaron Rodgers saga in Pittsburgh has been one of the defining talking points of the NFL offseason.

It remains up in the air whether or not the former NFL MVP will return to the Pittsburgh Steelers next season. If he does, it will mark his 22nd (second with the franchise) NFL season. If he doesn’t, the Steelers will likely be forced to turn to either veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph or second-year quarterback Will Howard as their starter for the 2026 season.

In his first season in Pittsburgh, Rodgers led the Steelers back to the Playoffs for the third consecutive season. He also led Pittsburgh to an AFC North divisional crown for the first time since 2020. Rodgers passed for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns with just seven interceptions, and would be welcomed back with open arms next season if he decides to do so.

“We’ve been in contact with Aaron on a regular basis,” Steelers owner/president Art Rooney II told The Insiders on Wednesday. “He’s been keeping us up to date on his plan. Even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks.”

Pittsburgh Steelers placed UFA tender on Aaron Rodgers this week

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh placed a UFA tender on Rodgers. This meant that he can accept a 10% raise from last year’s salary, which would pay him $15 million this year. The Steelers also now have the right to match any offer sheet he would sign with another team. The placement of the tender also means that Rodgers would only be able to sign with the Steelers once training camp starts in July.

“We alerted Aaron and his representative that we were going to do it, and so not a real big deal,” Rooney II continued. “Just something that in the unlikely event he goes somewhere else, we are eligible for a comp pick.”

In preparation for the Rodgers decision, the Pittsburgh Steelers did in fact select a quarterback in last week’s NFL Draft. With the No. 76 overall pick, Pittsburgh selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. This gives the Steelers quarterback room three different options, with that number bolstering to four if Rodgers does indeed agree to play for the Steelers next season.

Across 21 NFL seasons, Rodgers boasts 66,274 passing yards (fifth most all-time) and 527 passing touchdowns (fourth most all-time). At age 42, he would be the oldest player in the NFL if he returns in 2026.