Aaron Rodgers Floated as Possible Arizona Cardinals QB Option

The Arizona Cardinals could be looking to bolster their quarterback plan for 2026, and after shipping away one polarizing name in Kyler Murray, one NFL insider suggests Aaron Rodgers is a possibility in the desert.

Rodgers is a free agent and is free to sign anywhere — or retire. It appears Rodgers is on his last leg with only one more season left in the tank. Whether hanging it up or heading back to Pittsburgh joining former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is a better decision has yet to be made.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says the Cardinals could be an option for Rodgers:

"The only obvious remaining option, other than Pittsburgh, is Arizona," Florio wrote.

"Nathaniel Hackett, one of Rodgers’s trust-tree coaches, is the offensive coordinator. Mike LaFleur, the Rams’ offensive coordinator a year ago when Rodgers was Plan B if Matthew Stafford was traded, is the head coach. But the Cardinals are caught in the basement of one of the best divisions in football; it would be a steep uphill climb for Rodgers to cap his career with a playoff berth."

Rodgers, 42, might not want to spend his final days as a punching bag for the rest of the NFC West. And say what you want about the Steelers, they're very clearly ahead of the Cardinals in many aspects (well, except for NFLPA Report Cards).

Rodgers would also only come to Arizona working under the assumption that he'll be the starter, which would see the Cardinals offload Jacoby Brissett elsewhere with Gardner Minshew also under contract for 2026.

From a Cardinals perspective, it could make sense. If Ty Simpson isn't in the cards, Rodgers would at minimum sell a few jerseys and tickets in a 2026 season that is rapidly projecting like it could be a repeat of 2025.

Yet the Steelers still make more sense for Rodgers, though a decision would ultimately come down to how Rodgers feels about McCarthy, who was fired while Rodgers was still with the Packers.

Still, it appears Rodgers is taking his time.

“I’ve talked to Mike [McCarthy]. I’ve talked to Omar. There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me," Rodgers recently said on The Pat McAfee Show.

"There’s no contract offer or anything, so there’s nothing that I’m having to debate between. I’m a free agent, and I’m enjoying my time with my wife and this part of the offseason. I think there are conversations to be had down the line, but right now, there haven't been any progressive conversations."