What the Steelers should do about indecisive Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers should issue an ultimatum to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who, according to multiple national reports, still has not decided whether he will play for the team this season.

Steelers president Art Rooney II had publicly set a draft-week deadline for Rodgers to inform him of his intentions — even if not the public at large — about whether he plans to continue playing. But that window is now expected to pass without a decision. At this point, that may be all Pittsburgh needs to know.

Rooney needs an answer. Now.   

Rodgers' play last season, his lone season with Pittsburgh, was a significant improvement over the team's uninspiring play at quarterback in recent seasons. But it wasn't good enough to hold the team hostage for another offseason.

Aaron Rodgers is unlikely to improve on his play from 2025 

Rodgers, who turns 43 on Dec. 2, completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdown passes and seven interceptions in 16 games last season for the Steelers. He put up fewer passing yards than in 2024 with the New York Jets and kept his touchdown-to-interception ratio about the same. Pittsburgh went 10-6 with Rodgers and earned a playoff berth, but the Steelers got jettisoned in the wild-card round again. 

Some may bring up the team's lack of receiver depth in 2025 in defense of Rodgers, and that's valid. But he's also unlikely to recapture his elite level of play from his Green Bay Packers days.  

Giving Rodgers a final ultimatum could result in one of two responses: He will decide to return to the Steelers or rebuff them. But if he rebuffs and still wants to play, Rodgers doesn't the leverage he may think. His options are to play for the Steelers or retire. There's no other team to wait for this offseason. 

What Steelers' season could look like without Rodgers 

With 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard waiting in the wings and veteran Mason Rudolph still on the roster as a steady backup, the Steelers would have a workable fallback plan without Rodgers. 

That approach would likely start with giving Howard a real evaluation and seeing what they have in the young quarterback. Rudolph would remain the reliable option in a pinch. 

Beyond that, Pittsburgh could also look to the draft for another quarterback — either as a long-term solution or simply to add depth to the room.

However, with a decline in Rodgers’ play likely looming, continuing to wait for him to dictate the timeline — especially after a publicly stated deadline — only makes the Steelers look indecisive and hands leverage to a player who may not have as much of it as he believes. 

A potential reunion with Mike McCarthy, his former head coach and the man he once defeated the Steelers with in a Super Bowl, would make for a compelling storyline. But it doesn’t change the reality that Rodgers is no longer the same difference-maker he once was. 

Bottom line: Pittsburgh is better off avoiding a second season of Rodgers altogether.