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Aaron Rodgers could ride off into the sunset and hang up his cleats after the 2025 season. A realistic and plausible scenario he’ll have to consider whenever the Steelers’ season ends, be it this weekend or beyond. But NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport mused over the idea of Rodgers returning for one final final ride in 2026. All while preparing Pittsburgh’s quarterback of the future.
“If you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, you have to have a quarterback of the future at some point,” Rapoport said on NFL Network’s The Insiders Wednesday evening. “Let’s say you draft someone. Let’s say you bring in a young, unproven player, potentially. Who better than Aaron Rodgers to come mentor that player? That actually makes a lot of sense. We know it’s been a good experience, too. We know they would welcome him back. I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.”
In fairness and complete context, Rapoport spent the first half of his answers discussing the idea of Rodgers retiring after 2025, though it was more speculation than reporting. In fact, the entire segment involved Rapoport gaming out the possibilities.
It’s notable, even if not surprising, that Rapoport was confident Pittsburgh would welcome Rodgers back with open arms. Hours after Rodgers floated having “options” in free agency, the Steelers would presumably be one of them. Mike Tomlin and Rodgers’ teammates have praised him at every stop, and it all seems sincere and earnest.
Pittsburgh having the same quarterback in back-to-back years would be a refreshing change, even if it means keeping things the same. The Steelers have started a different Week 1 quarterback in each of the five seasons since Ben Roethlisberger retired. If Rodgers doesn’t return, it’ll be six straight. If OC Arthur Smith also returns, Pittsburgh could finally build continuity. Rodgers even noted the value of a second year in a system.
“I look at the way I played in 2019 and then kind of the adjustments we made in the offseason, and then the way I played in 2020, which was just on a whole kind of different level,” he told reporters Wednesday via a team-issued transcript of working under Matt LaFleur. “I felt like, and I used to tease LaFleur about this all the time, I was a game manager in 2019 and a game impactor in 2020 and 2021.”
In 2019, Rodgers threw 26 touchdown passes. The following season, he led the NFL with 48. And he won MVP in his second and third seasons with LaFleur. He’s unlikely to have an MVP-like season in 2026, but it’s reasonable to believe his play could improve, even as he turns 43.
Rapoport floated the idea of the Steelers drafting a quarterback, but finding one could prove difficult. The quarterback class is regarded as weak and will be worsened if Oregon’s Dante Moore and/or Alabama’s Ty Simpson choose to remain in school. Will Howard served in the mentee role this year, and Rodgers embraced the mentoring, but it remains to be seen if Howard could truly be the future. He’s yet to take an in-stadium snap.
At the least, adding Rodgers would give Pittsburgh another year to figure out the future. In some ways, it could delay an inevitable reality that the Steelers need a long-term franchise quarterback to compete. But it would keep the team afloat for another year, fitting for a veteran-laden team looking to make one last run.
