"I'm Shocked": Steelers' Recent Decision Has NFL Analyst Completely Baffled

The Pittsburgh Steelers and their fan base had absolutely no clue what would come from Ben Roethlisberger's retirement after the end of the 2021 campaign. The team has seriously struggled to find a long-term replacement for the future Hall of Famer, which has led to inconsistencies and a continued lack of success in the postseason. If Aaron Rodgers does happen to return in 2026 and start in Week 1, he will be the first signal-caller to do so in back-to-back seasons in the Steel City since Roethlisberger did so in 2020 and 2021. That's not normal for any NFL organization.

Pittsburgh's front office has done everything in its power to assemble a stronger offensive unit throughout the 2026 offseason. However, no one is quite sure of what Rodgers will end up doing. Original reports suggested that the Steelers wanted to know by the start of the new league year, but that didn't happen — at least publicly. There has been plenty of assumptions that the four-time MVP will be back because of the front office's refusal to add another quarterback.

Rodgers will turn 43 years old during the 2026 campaign and while he had a good season overall during in first year in the Steel City, Father Time is catching up to him. He appeared a bit skittish in the pocket and was quick to get the ball out of his hands. Regardless, it appears as if the franchise wants him back and is willing to wait as well.

In a recent segment for NFL on NBC, Mike Florio and Chris Simms decided to dive into what has been going on in Pittsburgh. It's fair to note that neither has ever been fond of Rodgers, so it'd be surprising to hear one of the two defend what the Steelers have done, but Sims seemed to come from a genuine place when he mentioned that he cannot believe how the team has approached this situation.

"I'm a little shocked. I am," Simms said. "I'm shocked that the Steelers again are going all in on the Aaron Rodgers thing; once again making him the quarterback and maybe not looking to the future. I just wonder what the plan is at the quarterback position. That's really what I wonder and, yeah, Aaron Rodgers really isn't good enough anymore to hold teams hostage. I think that's where we're at, too, and that's what's unusual."

The Steelers have been very adamant about not rebuilding in any way, and most of the moves that have been made suggest that the belief within the organization is that the collective is built to win now. What analysts forget to mention very often is that if Pittsburgh does get blindsided by Rodgers, Will Howard can step in and either live up to the hype, or perform so poorly that the 2027 NFL Draft will have the franchise picking in the Top 10. Technically, it's a win-win.

There were options out there for the Steelers — Malik Willis and Kyler Murray just to name a couple. It doesn't appear as if Pittsburgh had any interest at all in signing anyone who would provide serious competition when it comes to a starting quarterback battle.

In the end, the internal discussions going on for the team could be a whole lot different than the ones being had by individuals like Florio and Simms. Sure, the Steelers' approach has not been normal, but the decision-makers don't seem to care. That suggests that they know something that fans currently don't.

Steelers' Moves Suggest Rodgers Has Already Given A Decision

The veteran quarterback has always been somewhat of an interesting read from an outside perspective. He hates being in the public eye, but all anyone can talk about right now is his potential return to Pittsburgh. It's hard to imagine that he hasn't already made up his mind, and this could drag out until after Organized Team Activities (OTAs), as the future Hall of Fame signal-caller has been known to not enjoy that part of the offseason.

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