NFL Trade Rumors: Mike McCarthy’s Pittsburgh Steelers strongly linked to $263M former Green Bay Packers QB (Image via Getty: Pittsburgh Steelers logo and Green Bay Packers logo)
Time and again, no analyst wants to quit thinking about Aaron Rodgers. He is 42. He has not publicly confirmed whether he’ll be back. But several analysts predict that ayahuasca retreat lover is still poised to play in the 2026 season.ESPN’s Bill Barnwell released the big remaining issues for 20 NFL teams. One of them was the Pittsburgh Steelers. The problem? No quarterback. The solution? The 42-year-old former Green Bay Packer, Aaron Rodgers. How? Let’s decipher.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers predicted to sign Steelers once again
Barnwell reports that Pittsburgh could have gone for no-guarantee hits like Kyler Murray, Justin Fields, Tua Tagovailoa, and Geno Smith, who would have agreed to deals paid by their former teams, but no. The Steelers did not choose them.
And now the quarterbacks left in the free agency market are older and more expensive.They could sign with either the $100M Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins or the $136M Los Angeles Rams QB Jimmy Garoppolo. But the reunion of Rodgers with his Green Bay Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy, seems inescapable.They have had a gripping start in Green Bay, but their end was marked by Rodgers’ struggle, McCarthy’s firing, and Rodgers winning back-to-back MVPs under McCarthy’s replacement, Matt LaFleur.
Despite this full stop to their story, they had only great things to say about each other.
Pittsburgh HC Mike McCarthy loved watching ex Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers on TV
In Jan. 2026, when McCarthy addressed the media for the first time as Pittsburgh coach, a reporter asked him if he would like to have his former Packers QB back.“That’s nice, the way he asked that,” McCarthy said. “I mean, definitely. I don’t see why you wouldn’t. I have spoken to Aaron [Rodgers], so that’s really where we are. But I was able to sit back and watch the games, and watch most of the Pittsburgh games on TV, and I thought he was a great asset.”Rodgers recorded 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, seven interceptions, and a 94.8 passer rating in 16 games last season. To top it, he also recorded 61 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown and led the team to an AFC North division title.Barnwell reports that Rodgers did everything to take his team to the postseason, which is exactly what McCarthy would want from his QB in 2026.But the waiting game is getting wearying. With some members of the Steelers fraternity being affected by it.
One in particular.
Steelers legend Rod Woodson urges Pittsburgh to go ahead without Aaron Rodgers
Pittsburgh’s legendary cornerback, Rod Woodson, is tired of waiting for Rodgers. He wants his former team to move on from him. Woodson recently spoke on The Rich Eisen Show.“Is he gonna play? Listen, I get kinda tired of it,” Woodson said. “If he’s gonna play, say he’s gonna play, he’s gonna come back. The team shouldn’t wait for Aaron Rodgers. They need to move forward.”About two weeks ago, Rodgers told sports analyst Pat McAfee, “Talked to [head coach] Mike [McCarthy].
Talked to [general manager] Omar [Khan]. No deadline. No contract offer, or anything. Nothing that I’m having to debate between. I’m a free agent.”The veteran signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract with Pittsburgh in June 2025. The contract expired with the end of the season. And so, he’s an unrestricted free agent. Spotrac’s calculated market value projects him to secure a one-year contract worth $10.6M, resulting in an annual income of $10.6M.
His total career earnings over 21 years are $263M.Anyhow, let’s go back in time and really understand what the Steelers GM said about the veteran signal-caller’s potential return.At the 2026 NFL Combine, Pittsburgh GM
Omar Khan
said that his franchise would definitely welcome Rodgers back because of the great experience they had with him in 2025. But the GM let out two secrets: there was no deadline, and it won’t happen like it happened last year.So, last year, they signed a contract in June. So, maybe this time, if he is coming back, they would sign a second contract [kind of an extension] a little bit before June? Only time will tell…
