Is Aaron Rodgers Really About To Run It Back With the Steelers in 2026? ‘Odds Are Increasing’

Aaron Rodgers spent last summer telling the world he was “pretty sure” the 2025 season would be his last. One AFC North title later, the noise around a quiet exit has shifted to a much louder question about whether the 42-year-old is actually done.Rodgers helped the Pittsburgh Steelers go 10-7, win the division, and reach the playoffs before a 30-6 Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans. As of Feb. 11, 2026, he has not announced his plans and is set to hit free agency after playing 2025 on a one-year deal in Pittsburgh.

Tom Pelissero, Mike McCarthy, and DK Metcalf keep the door open for Aaron Rodgers to come back to Pittsburgh

The latest push for a reunion started on Super Bowl weekend. On NFL Network’s pregame show, insider Tom Pelissero said “the odds are increasing” that Rodgers returns to the Steelers for a second season and a 22nd year in the NFL, noting that the quarterback has spoken several times with new head coach Mike McCarthy and wide receiver DK Metcalf about his future.

Pelissero added that “the plan is for Rodgers to take a little bit more time, and everyone hopes [he] comes to a decision prior to the start of free agency in mid-March,” and later said “at this point it would not be a surprise if Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh.” That matches what McCarthy has already said publicly.Introduced as the Steelers’ head coach on Jan. 27, McCarthy called Rodgers the best-case scenario at quarterback and did not hide that he wants him back.

“Definitely. I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” McCarthy said, adding that he watched most of Pittsburgh’s games and “thought he was a great asset for the team.” Given their 13 years together with the Green Bay Packers and a shared Super Bowl win, the football fit is obvious if Rodgers wants one more run.

Terry Bradshaw, Jeremy Fowler, and the Steelers’ staff add more smoke to the one-more-year rumors

The Rodgers talk has not been limited to national TV hits and press conferences. Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw told 103.7 The Buzz that he had heard Rodgers already sent a message before McCarthy’s hire became public: “If you want me to come back for a year, I’ll come back and join you.”

Bradshaw did not clarify whether that “Mike” was Mike Tomlin or McCarthy, and he did not name his source, so it sits in the rumor bucket, but it lines up with the rest of the offseason chatter.ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Rodgers came out of his first year in Pittsburgh feeling “refreshed” and “in a much better place” than he was after his two seasons with the New York Jets, writing that he “greatly valued his experience in Pittsburgh” and that teammates “raved about him” in exit meetings.

Fowler also noted that the Steelers have been open to a Rodgers return since early in the season.There is still a business side to all of this. Rodgers made just over $394.3 million in career earnings and played 2025 on a one-year contract with a $10 million base salary and incentives. As Pelissero put it, “If he’s gonna come back, they need to work out a contract.” With McCarthy in place, familiar assistants joining the offensive staff, and multiple voices publicly nudging him toward one more year, Pittsburgh looks ready.Now it comes back to Rodgers. He can run it back in black and gold for one last shot, or finally cash out on the “pretty sure” retirement he floated last June. Until he says it himself, everyone else is just trying to read the signs.