Aaron Rodgers may have a deadline to sign with the Steelers

Nearly one month after the 2026 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback room might still welcome another member.

Aaron Rodgers has yet to sign a new deal, and while he's always been expected to return, it won't be official until he puts pen to paper.

Rodgers, as per usual, has been cryptic and tight-lipped about his plans, and there have been conflicting reports about meetings with the organization.

However, it might all be a part of the plan. In an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that Rodgers' target date to sign hasn't passed yet.

Aaron Rodgers might sign with the Steelers before OTAs

"The target date was never the draft. It was not the start of free agency. It was really May 18 for Aaron Rodgers," Pelissero revealed. "It was the first day of OTAs. You want to max out the reps that you get on the field."

Per the insider, the Steelers' head coach hasn't been worried about this situation because he's been down this road before:

"That's where, ideally, knowing how Mike McCarthy thinks, you'd want your starting quarterback to be there. You go all the way back to McCarthy's early days in Green Bay — 2006 and even more so in 2007 — Brett Favre, who had spent offseasons on the tractor down in Mississippi for the better part of a decade, showed up in 2007," Pelissero added.

Rodgers doesn't need to be there for most of the offseason workouts, though it would be better to have him around.

More than that, he probably could've signed his new contract and still skipped the first slate of offseason workouts. Just knowing that he would be there would give everybody a better understanding of where the team stands ahead of the season.

Barring a shocking turn of events, Rodgers will run it back for at least another season. Still, if he doesn't, he'll leave the only team that trusted him in a very, very tough spot.