Intriguing Quarterback Option Emerges For Steelers If Aaron Rodgers Retires

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Mar 14, 2026 5:17 PM ET

While Aaron Rodgers hasn't announced his intentions to retire ahead of the 2026 season, he hasn't committed to playing either. As a result, it would behoove the team to have alternate plans in the event he decides not to.

Bleacher Report believes that there's one option they can look at to try and mitigate the risk of Rodgers not playing. On Saturday, Moe Moton proposed that the Steelers could swing a trade for San Francisco 49ers backup QB Mac Jones.

Moton wrote that while the 49ers are reportedly asking for a lot, they might wind up lowering their asking price over time. He also mused that the Steelers might already be one of the teams secretly inquiring about his availability.

"Although the 49ers should aim high for a return on a former first-rounder who's a capable starter in his prime, they may want to capitalize on Jones' market while he has some buzz, even if proposals don't include a Day 1 draft pick," Moton wrote.

"The Pittsburgh Steelers might be one of the teams that inquired about Jones. They will likely have to pay a steep price for him, but the 27-year-old could be a solution that keeps them out of quarterback limbo for the foreseeable future.

"Even if Aaron Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh, the Steelers can sign Jones to an extension before 2027, giving them a long-term quarterback plan."

Oct 2, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) reacts after the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A Rodgers-McCarthy Reunion?

For the longest time it was believed that there had been a falling out between Rodgers and Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy in 2018, when McCarthy got fired midseason. Whether or not that's true, it's also believed that time has healed the rift between them and that Rodgers is actually intrigued by the idea of working with him again.

Rodgers and McCarthy famously won a Super Bowl together during the 2010 season. McCarthy later coached Rodgers to two of his four MVP campaigns.

And while both have found some success since going their separate ways, neither one has returned to the Super Bowl since.

Will Rodgers and McCarthy reunite with the Steelers, or does the team need to start looking in another direction?

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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