Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan are comfortable playing the waiting game with Aaron Rodgers. At least a little while longer.
Owner Art Rooney II said before the 2026 NFL Draft the timeline for Rodgers to inform the Steelers of his plans was no longer “before the draft,” as initially understood when former coach Mike Tomlin resigned and McCarthy took the helm in Pittsburgh.
Rooney said in an NFL Network interview on Wednesday the franchise is expecting to hear a verdict on the 2026 season plans for Rodgers, 42, in May.
“Even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks,” Rooney said.
Rodgers played for McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers and has a deep and detailed understanding of his offensive system and coaching philosophy. McCarthy said that’s part of the reason he’s not even slightly worried about Rodgers missing the remedial installation periods of the offense and team plans during offseason workouts and voluntary minicamp.
The Steelers have insurance, albeit in the form of unproven NFL starters, under contract.
McCarthy has been highly complimentary of second-year quarterback Will Howard, and Pittsburgh used the 76th overall pick in the 2026 draft to select Penn State’s Drew Allar last week. Holdover Mason Rudolph split first-team reports with Howard during McCarthy’s first minicamp.
Initial timelines from the front office suggested Rodgers could be signed by mid-March amid the first wave of free agency.
At least publicly, the Steelers appear confident Rodgers is not plotting a QB sneak to sign with another team. However, ESPN reported on Wednesday that Pittsburgh exercised a tender that grants the Steelers the opportunity to match any offer Rodgers receives from another team. The tender guarantees him a one-year deal at a 10 percent increase over his 2025 salary.
“We’ve been in contact with Aaron on a regular basis,” Rooney said. “He’s been keeping us up to date on his plans, and even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks.”
