Report: Steelers have officially given Aaron Rodgers a timeline and ultimatum

The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially hired Mike McCarthy to be the franchise's next head coach, and he is already starting to build out his staff. There are a lot of mixed opinions on the matter, mainly because the organization went against its traditional approach of bringing in a young leader. A lot of factors that played into the decision had to do with the quarterback position. McCarthy has worked with several terrific signal-callers throughout his coaching career, and one of them happens to be Aaron Rodgers, who is mulling over his future.

The Steelers still believe that they can compete in 2026, which was a big factor in McCarthy's hiring. The roster is experienced, and the defense is the league's highest-paid. If the offense can step up with a head coach that focuses on that side of the ball, then the thought in the building is that Pittsburgh can be better as a collective moving forward.

In 2025, the team waited until June for Rodgers to sign. While there were questions about his future, it seemed as if all of the clues pointed to him eventually putting pen to paper once mandatory minicamp began. That's exactly what ended up happening. Now, after a recent report on "The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller" from 93.7 The Fan's sports director Jeff Hathhorn, it seems as if General Manager Omar Khan already let Rodgers know that taking his time won't be an option.

"Omar has told [Rodgers], 'Hey we need to know in a month basically. We need to know before free agency. Like, we can't be waiting through free agency not knowing what the quarterback room [will look like],'" Hathhorn said.

This is some pretty significant news. While the Steelers respect Rodgers and his legendary career, he will not be above Pittsburgh football laws in 2026. Khan wants to have a very strategic approach in free agency, and he can't tackle that until he knows if a future Hall of Famer will be under center or not. Hathhorn said that this isn't brand new, as the team's leadership made this known before Mike Tomlin stepped down.

"Couple of weeks ago. It was kind of in a side comment of like, 'Hey, we kind of need to know this a lot faster. We can't be waiting.' And, this is pre-Mike [Tomlin stepping down]. This was one of the conversations kind of [about the] roster looking forward," Hathhorn noted.

Rodgers has never been one to cave to what anyone else wants or believes. He didn't suffer any serious injuries in 2025 (aside from a broken wrist), and he could feel good enough to play one more season. However, it doesn't mean that he will meet the Steelers' timeline. That could cause some issues and force a decision from one of the parties involved.

Pittsburgh has veteran leadership on the defensive side of the ball, but without Rodgers, the offense would be lacking a bit. That's where the four-time MVP returning could really make a difference. It wouldn't go over too well with the fan base, but Khan and the decision makers seem open to it. If it fits the proper timeline, running it back for one more campaign is certainly doable.

Steelers hoping for deep playoff run if Rodgers is welcomed back

Pittsburgh has no interest in rebuilding. Several moves and comments of late have suggested that. If Rodgers does come back for one more year, it will be because he gets to reunite with McCarthy and potentially go on one more historic run. There's no guarantee of that happening, but the two may be with one another again. However, it appears as if Rodgers is going to have to decide rather quickly.