The Pittsburgh Steelers have a ton of questions to answer about the upcoming future of their team. Obviously, the most important one is about the quarterback position. With how barren the talent level is in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, there may not be a right answer here. There may not be a better example of a team in quarterback purgatory than the Black and Gold. They have yet to come up with a reliable plan to replace Ben Roethlisberger, even though he retired four years ago and struggled in his final couple seasons.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger waves to fans as he walks off the Kansas City Chiefs home turf.
While making a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on the most likely scenario for the Steelers at the quarterback position, and it's the most obvious one yet.
"I think Pittsburgh would like to have Aaron Rodgers back," Rapoport said. "They've been in touch; they've been in contact. I think there's some hope there... The fact that he's already in contact with Mike McCarthy, the fact that he's going to decide before free agency, this is a good thing. There's definitely some smoke there with Aaron Rodgers."
The Steelers are low on options, so their first hope is that Aaron Rodgers comes back and works for the coach he won a Super Bowl with. Mike McCarthy was hired to come in and help develop a quarterback, but he likely won't develop a starter in his first season. It will definitely take some time, so it makes sense for him to get a bridge quarterback until he can get his guy on the roster and developed properly.
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Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers go over plays in an NFL game in their time in Green Bay.
Steeler Nation is very annoyed at the quarterback carousel at this point. They have been using bridge quarterbacks ever since Mitch Trubisky was signed in 2022. The fans have been waiting for a new franchise passer to lead the team over the hump, but they will most likely have to wait at least one more year as the Steelers plan to go back to the 42-year-old option for another ride.
Rodgers may have the football IQ still, but the physical talents are just not there like they once were. In 2025, he set career-lows in nearly every statistical category for a relatively healthy season. On top of that, his internal clock is a lot more rushed, and he's more prone to hitting the checkdown if his first option is not wide open immediately.
Rapoport did also confirm the deadline for Rodgers to return, so the Steelers won't have to deal with the extra-long saga that they did in 2025. They will know if he is their quarterback in 2026, so they can actually build around him or another option as opposed to waiting and hoping. They are refusing to put all of their eggs into one basket and are willing to explore other options if necessary, even if those options are in-house.
Steelers May Have A Bridge Quarterback To Nowhere
The 2026 draft class was supposed to be loaded with first-round talents. Instead, it appears to be about as weak as the 2022 class, and weaker than 2025 as well. People are saying that the 2027 group will be extremely loaded, but with how much of a disappointment 2026's was, it's hard to justify selling out and going all in on that next year in hopes that things will be different.
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University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning gets ready to let go of a football while warming up on the sidelines during a collegiate football contest.
The best move for the Steelers at this point, whether Rodgers returns or not, is to load up on top picks. They could take a high-risk high-reward project in the middle rounds to compete with Will Howard, and if 2027 is truly great, then they grab a first-round quarterback.
What do you think about Rodgers coming back? Let us know in the comments on social media or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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