Is Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy reunion with Steelers not a slam dunk?

For the better part of two months, multiple local and national reporters have insisted that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will soon sign another short-term contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers to reunite with recently hired head coach Mike McCarthy.

However, a report from earlier in March shared that the Steelers "truly don't know what" Rodgers plans to do regarding the 2026 season. During a Thursday appearance on NFL Network, league insider Mike Garafolo hinted that is still the case. 

When Steelers want "clarity" on Aaron Rodgers situation

"When Mike McCarthy got hired, I know for a fact that hire was not about luring Rodgers back," Garafolo explained, per Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. "But it did increase the chances of Rodgers coming back. "I don't know if it's a slam dunk, based on some of the conversations that I've had. I'm sure the Steelers would like some clarity before they get to the draft." 

The 2026 NFL Draft gets underway on April 23. 

McCarthy was Rodgers' head coach when they were with the Green Bay Packers from 2006 through a portion of the 2018 season. Earlier this week, McCarthy suggested that Rodgers was "in a really good place." That said, McCarthy gave no real clue about Rodgers' intentions. 

Are Steelers not desperate for Aaron Rodgers to re-sign?

As Brockhoff noted, NFL analyst Andrew Siciliano of Yahoo Sports and other outlets recently questioned on the "Heed the Call" podcast if the Steelers are truly desperate to re-sign Rodgers. Pittsburgh currently has longtime backup Mason Rudolph and unproven 2025 rookie Will Howard on the depth chart, but some think veteran Kirk Cousins is viewed as a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option for the Steelers. 

Like Rodgers, Cousins doesn't seem to be in a hurry to make a decision about his short-term future. Additionally, clubs that had a need for somebody to at least compete for a starting quarterback job have already picked up other signal-callers. 

For now, it sounds like the latest edition of "Rodgers Watch" will continue through the final weekend of March. It's unclear how the Steelers would react if Rodgers remained an unsigned free agent through the opening night of the draft.