I don't see why you wouldn't
At 42, Aaron Rodgers stands at the threshold of a 22nd NFL season, weighing whether a late-career renaissance in Pittsburgh is a story worth continuing. The reunion of a quarterback and his former Super Bowl-winning coach, Mike McCarthy, lends the moment a sense of narrative symmetry — two men who built something great in Green Bay now circling the possibility of one more chapter together. The decision carries weight beyond one man's future, as it will reshape a restless quarterback market where teams and careers hang in the balance.
- A 42-year-old quarterback who once declared this season likely his last is now seriously reconsidering retirement, energized by a successful year in Pittsburgh after two painful ones in New York.
- The arrival of Mike McCarthy — Rodgers' former Packers coach and Super Bowl partner — as the Steelers' new head coach has dramatically shifted the odds of a return, with McCarthy publicly declaring he sees no reason not to bring Rodgers back.
- The Steelers face a ticking clock, needing Rodgers' answer before free agency opens March 11, as rival teams circle available quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray.
- The broader quarterback market is unsettled — Tagovailoa struggled, Murray was injured, and Derek Carr is quietly reconsidering retirement after his shoulder healed better than expected.
- Rodgers has not committed, but finished the season feeling refreshed; his choice will send ripples through a league full of teams desperate for answers at the most important position in sports.
Aaron Rodgers is weighing a return to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2026 season, with sources indicating the likelihood is growing. At the center of the conversation is Mike McCarthy, the team's newly appointed head coach, who coached Rodgers in Green Bay for over a decade and shared a Super Bowl victory with him after the 2010 season. At his introductory press conference, McCarthy left little ambiguity: he wanted Rodgers back.
Rodgers' first season in Pittsburgh was a genuine rebound. After two injury-plagued, disappointing years with the New York Jets, he completed nearly 66 percent of his passes, threw 24 touchdowns, and helped the Steelers win the AFC North. A lopsided playoff loss to Houston ended the run, but the season itself felt like a restoration. Before it began, Rodgers had told ESPN he was "pretty sure" it would be his last. After it ended, he said he would not make any emotional decisions — and that he felt better than he had in years.
A return would be his 22nd NFL season. He is a four-time MVP, fourth all-time in passing touchdowns, and fifth in passing yards — a career that has already secured its legacy. The question is whether there is still something left to chase.
The Steelers want an answer before free agency opens March 11, because the quarterback market will not wait. Teams like the Jets, Vikings, Browns, and Falcons are searching, with Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray available via trade from Miami and Arizona respectively. Meanwhile, Derek Carr — who retired after 2024 with a shoulder injury — is reportedly reconsidering after an unexpectedly strong recovery, adding another variable to an already unsettled landscape.
Rodgers is thinking. McCarthy is waiting. And the decisions of one man are poised to reshape the futures of many.
Aaron Rodgers is thinking about staying in Pittsburgh. The 42-year-old quarterback has been in conversations with Mike McCarthy, the Steelers' new head coach, about returning for the 2026 season, according to reporting from NFL Media. The odds, as one source put it, are increasing.
McCarthy arrives in Pittsburgh with a particular credential: he coached Rodgers in Green Bay from 2006 through 2018, and together they won a Super Bowl after the 2010 season. At his introductory press conference as Steelers head coach—a job he took after Mike Tomlin stepped down last month—McCarthy made his position clear. "I don't see why you wouldn't," he said about bringing Rodgers back. He added that he had watched most of Pittsburgh's games on television during the 2025 season and believed Rodgers was a valuable piece of what the team was building.
Rodgers' first year in black and gold was, by most measures, a success. He completed 65.7 percent of his passes, threw for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions. The Steelers won the AFC North with a 10-7 record. They lost badly to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round, but the season itself represented a genuine recovery. The previous two years with the New York Jets had been disappointing and injury-plagued. After the Jets released him last March, Rodgers signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh in June, and before the season began, he told ESPN's Pat McAfee that he was "pretty sure" it would be his last.
But Rodgers has not committed to anything. After the playoff loss, he said he would not make any emotional decisions. According to ESPN's reporting, he finished the season feeling refreshed and in a better place than he had been during his time in New York. A return would mark his 22nd season in the NFL. He is a four-time MVP, fourth all-time in passing touchdowns with 527, and fifth in passing yards with 66,274.
The Steelers are hoping Rodgers makes up his mind before free agency opens on March 11. That deadline matters because Pittsburgh is not the only team in the market for a veteran quarterback. The Jets, Vikings, Browns, and Falcons are all expected to be looking. The available options include Tua Tagovailoa from Miami and Kyler Murray from Arizona, both of whom their current teams are willing to trade. Tagovailoa went 6-8 as a starter last season and threw 15 interceptions in 14 games before being benched. Miami is reportedly willing to absorb some of his contract, which carries 54 million dollars in guaranteed money for 2026. Murray played only five games before a foot injury shut him down for the year. He is 38-48-1 over seven seasons and still has three years left on a five-year, 230.5 million dollar deal.
There is also Derek Carr, who retired after 2024 due to a shoulder injury. His recovery has been better than expected. According to NFL Media, his shoulder has responded so well to rest that he has no limitations now, and at 34 years old, he is considering coming out of retirement. The New Orleans Saints still hold his contract rights, though they appear ready to move forward with Tyler Shough, their promising rookie. Carr had interest in the Jets during his 2023 free agency and later said he could have signed there before they traded for Rodgers. His interest in New York was tied to his respect for Robert Saleh, whom the Jets fired during the 2024 season. Saleh was hired last month by the Tennessee Titans.
The quarterback market is unsettled and crowded. Rodgers' decision will ripple through it. For now, he is thinking. McCarthy is waiting. The Steelers are hoping.
Notable Quotes
I watched most of the Pittsburgh games on TV, and I thought he was a great asset for the team.— Mike McCarthy, Steelers head coach
I'm not going to make any emotional decisions.— Aaron Rodgers, after the playoff loss
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter whether Rodgers stays or leaves? He's 42. Isn't this just about one team's roster?
It matters because Rodgers is still elite, and his choice affects five or six other teams' entire offseason strategy. If he stays in Pittsburgh, the Jets, Vikings, Browns, and Falcons all have to pivot. If he leaves, he becomes the prize everyone's chasing.
But he had a good year. Why would he leave?
Because he's not sure he wants to keep playing. He said before last season that he thought it would be his last. A good year doesn't necessarily change that calculus when you're 42 and you've already won everything.
What's the McCarthy angle? Why is that important?
McCarthy won a Super Bowl with Rodgers in Green Bay. They have history, trust, and a shared language. That's not nothing when you're deciding whether to play another year. It's the difference between starting over with a new coach and coming home to someone who knows exactly how you work.
So Rodgers is likely to stay?
The reporting says the odds are increasing. But Rodgers has been non-committal. He said he won't make emotional decisions. That suggests he's genuinely weighing it, not just going through the motions.
What happens if he leaves?
Then Pittsburgh has to scramble for a quarterback before March 11, and teams like Miami and Arizona suddenly have leverage. The whole market shifts. Right now, everyone's waiting on Rodgers to decide.
Is there any chance he goes somewhere else?
Theoretically, yes. But he just had a good year in Pittsburgh, McCarthy is there, and the Steelers won the division. There's no obvious reason to leave. The real question is whether he wants to play at all.