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Top Aaron Rodgers landing spots, ranked
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Michael Longo Imagn Images

Mike Tomlin has left the Pittsburgh Steelers, which means that Aaron Rodgers will probably play somewhere else in 2026, if he chooses to continue his career. While the Steelers say they’d welcome Rodgers back with open arms, it’s hard to envision the four-time MVP wanting to return when Tomlin was the biggest reason he signed with Pittsburgh in the first place.

Now 42 years old, there’s a decent chance Rodgers hangs it up and calls it a career. However, if he decides to return, several teams should be interested in securing his services. Rodgers is not the quarterback he used to be, but he’s still a solid starter who could be the missing piece for a loaded roster that’s a quarterback away from competing. A few teams fit this description, so don’t be surprised if he lands with one of the following organizations next year.

Three teams that could sign Aaron Rodgers, ranked

Minnesota Vikings

It’s time for Rodgers to fulfill the prophecy and join the Vikings. The two sides almost united last offseason, but Rodgers ultimately joined the Steelers while the Vikings embraced the J.J. McCarthy era. This didn’t work out for Minnesota, as McCarthy played like one of the worst quarterbacks in football and struggled to stay on the field.

The rest of this roster has Super Bowl potential, but they won’t get far with an active liability at the quarterback position. Rodgers may not be an MVP-caliber passer at this stage in his career, but he’s still considerably better than McCarthy and undrafted free agent Max Brosmer. Signing Rodgers wouldn’t necessarily mean giving up on McCarthy, either, as he’s a year-to-year player at this stage in his career.

Indianapolis Colts

This one depends on the health of quarterback Daniel Jones. The longtime Giant looked like the real deal early in the season, as he guided the Colts to an 8-5 record while completing 68% of his passes for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles tendon and missed the closing stretch of the season.

Without having access to his full medical report, it’s fair to wonder if Jones will ever recapture his previous form. Quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins and even Rodgers himself have struggled to come back from Achilles injuries, and head coach Shane Steichen probably won’t survive another losing season. Seeing as Jones is a free agent, the Colts could pivot to a safer option like Rodgers.

Houston Texans

This one is admittedly a long shot, but it’s hard to overstate just how bad C.J. Stroud was against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Houston has the best defense in football and slowed down MVP candidate Drake Maye for most of the contest. However, it didn’t matter, as Stroud missed routine throws all day, threw four interceptions, and had a few more passes that could’ve gone the other way.

Stroud looked like a future superstar as a rookie, but he’s never managed to recapture that form. The Texans have the roster to win a championship, but Stroud is singlehandedly holding this team back. While they probably won’t give up on him, Rodgers might be an upgrade and Houston should at least think about adding competition to the quarterback room.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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