Steelers reportedly have interesting timeline for final Aaron Rodgers decision

Last offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers were willing to wait until June to officially sign veteran Aaron Rodgers to serve as their starting quarterback for the 2025 season. 

A January report indicated that the Steelers wanted to know Rodgers' plans for the 2026 campaign by "early March at the latest." It seems that recently hired Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy may be willing to show more patience regarding a timeline for a Rodgers decision. 

Steelers once again willing to wait for Aaron Rodgers?

"Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Steelers definitely want quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return for 2026," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio shared on Tuesday. "It’s not a ploy to make Rodgers think they want him back while hoping he doesn’t return. They want him to return. And here’s the kicker. They’re in no hurry. While they don’t anticipate that the situation will take quite as long as it did last year to resolve itself, they’re content to focus on developing second-year quarterback Will Howard. With Rodgers not there for the offseason program, Howard has a chance to become QB1 over (backup) Mason Rudolph."

Interestingly, Florio posted this update on the same day that Steelers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw revealed that he had heard Rodgers previously made it known he was willing to run it back with Pittsburgh for at least one more campaign. Other stories have linked Rodgers with the Minnesota Vikings, but it's unclear if the 42-year-old has any interest in starting fresh with a different club at this stage of his career. 

As for Howard, he suffered a hand injury during training camp last summer and ultimately took zero meaningful snaps as a rookie. Thus, outsiders can only guess how the 2025 sixth-round draft pick will and/or won't develop while working under McCarthy throughout the spring. 

Why Aaron Rodgers may wait to sign with Steelers once again

"Taking his time to make a decision allows him to miss the voluntary portion of the offseason program without criticism or scrutiny from the outside," Florio added about Rodgers. 

Florio also mentioned that "it’s widely expected 2026 would be [Rodgers'] final NFL season" if the future Hall of Famer decides to keep playing. In short, it sounds like Steelers fans could be in for another lengthy Rodgers-related saga.