The Pittsburgh Steelers have been frustrating their fans for the second straight offseason. It's not the fact that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will most likely return for a second straight season that's upsetting everyone; it's that the decision appears to be dragging out again. In 2025, he didn't sign with Pittsburgh until the start of mandatory minicamp in June. Now, there is once again no timeline in place for when he will make the choice to return or retire. The longer this drags on, the more restless and antsy Steeler Nation will get.
Netflix
Four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers during a psychedelic session featured in his Netflix documentary.
While making an appearance on First Things First, Nick Wright bashed the Steelers for allowing this whole saga to happen again and allow Rodgers to do whatever he wants.
"I just don't understand why this has to be so difficult. Why the Steelers, for the second straight year, have to operate as if a player is their starting quarterback of their team, but without the player committing to doing it," Wright said. "Now, the Steelers are opting into that. They own the accountability for not having enough organizational self-respect to say, 'No, we're not doing this.'"
The only information that has come out about this situation is that the two sides have kept in communication. There is no indication that the Steelers have given Rodgers a deadline, or that he has given them even a rough estimate on when he will sign a contract, or even play in 2026. Also like in 2025, Pittsburgh appears to be perfectly fine with what is going on, and willing to wait the process out.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks into the distance with intense focus as he stands in street clothes while the team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The free agency process is mostly over, and the Steelers are working hard on the draft process now. How they operate in the upcoming NFL Draft would usually depend on who the passer is, especially since Rodgers and Will Howard have two different types of skill sets, while the veteran is also extremely particular in what he wants. It's hard to bring in players to satisfy him without knowing if he will suit up for the Black and Gold or not.
Obviously, the Steelers believe they're doing the right thing. In their minds, they are allowing a future Hall-of-Famer to do what he needs to do to be mentally and physically ready to play football, and that means leaving him alone and working on his terms. The idea behind that is they can go into the season with a great quarterback who is all in on the year with absolutely no distractions from him weighing them down.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after a brutal loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round.
Where they lose self-respect is the fact that this is happening again, despite the disappointing ending to the 2025 season. Rodgers had flashes of his past self at times, but it was very clear that he was nowhere near the level that he played at with the Green Bay Packers. Despite him getting terrorized in the playoffs by a truly great defense after a lackluster year, the organization still believes that he can be a Top 16 quarterback in the NFL.
Steelers May Realize Their Mistake After 2026 Season
Rodgers will most likely be the Steelers' quarterback in 2026. Expectations are that he will continue to decline, which will severely limit this young offense. He may have a high football IQ, but that doesn't matter when he gets the ball out faster than any other passer and he becomes predictable enough to pick apart.
With a 42-year-old veteran quarterback coming off of his worst statistical season of his NFL career, it becomes really hard to justify signing him to try and win now.
What do you think about the whole Aaron Rodgers saga? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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