Overview
- Aaron Rodgers told reporters on May 20 that the 2026 campaign will be his last in the NFL, saying “This is it.”
- He has signed a one-year deal reported at $25 million to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers and has been participating in OTAs with new head coach Mike McCarthy.
- Rodgers cited McCarthy's hiring as a decisive factor in his choice to come back and described their reunion as a 'full-circle' moment that reminded him of their Green Bay years.
- Pittsburgh's offseason moves, including trading for WR Michael Pittman Jr., signing RB Rico Dowdle and drafting Germie Bernard, boost Rodgers' supporting cast while backup options Drew Allar, Will Howard and Mason Rudolph signal a clear long-term starter search for 2027.
- Reaction in the media is mixed, with some pundits predicting the Rodgers–McCarthy pairing will lift Pittsburgh and others questioning Rodgers' contemporary impact, while the announcement stabilizes the team's short-term quarterback picture but forces concrete succession planning next year.