Steelers GM shares surprising take about possible Aaron Rodgers retirement

As recently as Tuesday, a report indicated that it is "more likely than not" that 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers through at least the 2026 season. 

However, that same report teased that Rodgers announcing his retirement as early as March can't be completely ruled out. During a Tuesday chat with CBS Sports personality Bryant McFadden, Steelers general manager Omar Khan discussed how he would react if Rodgers chooses retirement over playing for the Steelers. 

Why Steelers wouldn't view Aaron Rodgers retirement as "worst-case scenario"

"I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a worst-case scenario," Khan explained, according to Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. "We think highly of [2025 sixth-round draft pick Will Howard]. We think he's an arrow player, and there's a lot to like there. The fact that [head coach Mike McCarthy] came in here, and part of the interview process, we talked about it. And he talked about his excitement and some of the things he liked about Will. He thinks he's got a chance to develop and be a good football player."

Earlier in February, a report shared that one reason the Steelers aren't rushing Rodgers into declaring his intentions for the 2026 season is that Pittsburgh is "content to focus on developing" Howard throughout springtime workouts. Howard suffered a hand injury during training camp last summer, and he then took zero meaningful snaps through Pittsburgh's wild-card playoff loss. 

Why Steelers are so high on Will Howard despite lack of reps

Howard has become somewhat of a polarizing figure among Pittsburgh fans and local sports media members, some of whom don't understand why the club is so high on a developmental project essentially coming off a "redshirt" rookie season. During a Tuesday news conference at the NFL Scouting Combine, Khan touched upon that topic.

"Obviously, we didn't have the ability to watch him in games, which would've been good," Khan said about Howard, according to Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. "He got hurt in the preseason. But we watched all the practice tape and seen the progression and there's some exciting stuff to see."

Khan and Co. clearly aren't excited enough about Howard to hand him the keys to the offense. Nevertheless, it sounds like Khan believes the 24-year-old would rise to the challenge if he were given a chance to compete for the QB1 job later this year.