Aaron Rodgers, still deciding whether he will play in the 2026 season, has been working to stay in shape likely in preparation for the season, according to a source, and that seems like good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers because the NFL team is reserving a spot for him as its starting quarterback.
But here’s the sobering news for the club: Rodgers, who has been speaking regularly with Steelers coach Mike McCarthy, has yet to definitively commit to playing in 2026 for the Steelers.
Or anyone else.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) runs off the field after the game against the Miami Dolphins at Acrisure Stadium on December 15, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Image Images)
Khan: communication continues
“We’ve had great communication with Aaron and nothing has changed, but he’s always positive and good,” general manager Omar Khan said Monday. “I told you guys this in March when we met, he knows how we feel about him and we know how he feels about us.”
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Now looking for that line where Khan says that Rodgers definitely plays for the Steelers….
No, not there.
The best way to describe the affinity each party currently “feels” is a long-distance romance because Rodgers has been traveling and not in Pittsburgh, while the Steelers opened a voluntary minicamp on Monday where Rodgers was not present.
Second-year quarterback Will Howard was expected to take the majority of first-team reps with the offense during camp that runs through Wednesday.
And suddenly, the excitement about Rodgers possibly committing to the Steelers in the NFL draft, which will be held in Pittsburgh starting Thursday night, is losing steam.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy (right) speaks at a press conference introducing him as the Steelers’ next head coach as owner Art Rooney II (left) listens at the PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium on January 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Charles LeClaire/Image Images)
Rooney’s decision is expected at this point
It should be noted that it was the Steelers who made everyone believe that a decision could be made on Rodgers this week. Club owner Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at the NFL’s annual meetings that he already expected certainty.
Steelers owners hope to have clarity on Aaron Rodgers’ future ‘in the next month or so’
“I hope we get an answer before the draft,” Rooney said.
Khan, noting that Rodgers took until June to certify his decision to play the 2025 season for the Steelers, said at the NFL Combine in February that the process wouldn’t be as long this year.
“I think neither side wants to suffer this burden like what happened last year,” Khan said.
And yet, here we are.
Rodgers, by the way, has two options to choose from:
He plays for the Steelers.
Or retire.
There is no option C because the only NFL team that has not yet made other plans for its starting quarterback job is the Arizona Cardinals and joining a rebuilding program would not be attractive to Rodgers.
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson passes during the game against the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Columbia, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Ty Simpson, an option?
It’s possible, depending on what the Steelers’ talent evaluators and Khan decided, that the Steelers will take a hard look at selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
Simpson is the only QB prospect not named Fernando Mendoza and has serious hopes of being selected in the first round. So it might be smart for the Steelers to take a hard look at him as an investment with their 21st overall pick, regardless of whether they have Rodgers or not.
If Rodgers leaves the game and retires in the coming days, the Steelers could want a player like Simpson as a possible addition to their quarterback room.
Even if Rodgers tells the Steelers he will return, it could be up to the club to consider Simpson in the draft because Rodgers is 42 years old and will turn 43 during the season.
Khan said the club’s decision on a quarterback in the draft will have nothing to do with Rodgers.
“Yes, we will evaluate it,” Khan said. “That doesn’t change our evaluation process. We’re still putting guys (on the draft board), where they need to be, and, you know, we’ll just see how it develops.”
