Aaron Rodgers’ future remains a mystery, maybe even more so than it felt yesterday.
Rodgers appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday afternoon and didn’t commit to re-signing with the Steelers or retiring. He’s been in touch with the organization, but the Steelers haven’t given Rodgers a firm deadline by which they need a decision.
“I’ve talked to Mike (McCarthy), I’ve talked to Omar (Khan),” Rodgers said. “There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me.”
Rodgers said that he and his wife
have gone skiing this offseason, and he has been lying low.
McCarthy spoke gushingly about Rodgers at his introductory press conference, and Khan has previously stated that the franchise had a positive experience with Rodgers, but the 42-year-old quarterback hasn’t received a contract offer.
“There hasn’t been a contract offer or anything,” Rodgers said. “So there’s nothing that I’m having to debate between. I’m a free agent.”
The 2026 league year begins in one week, on March 11, but the legal tampering period starts on Monday, March 9. Players are officially able to sign with teams when free agency officially begins on the 11th, but Rodgers doesn’t seem to feel that the conversations must be immediate.
“I think there’s conversations to be had down the line,” Rodgers said. “There haven’t been any progressive conversations.”
Rodgers stressed that he has kept in contact with McCarthy over the years and said he thought Khan and the players enjoyed having him in Pittsburgh.
“There hasn’t been any deadlines set on me,” Rodgers said. “There hasn’t been any contract floated in front of me for me to like [hear] ‘we’ll, we’re giving you until March 8th to make a decision on this contract.’ There’s been nothing to that respect.”
Rodgers didn’t sign with the Steelers until June 5, agreeing to a one-year, $13.65 million contract.
Retirement still seems to be a possibility, but Rodgers didn’t speculate much on his future. With McCarthy as the Steelers’ head coach and players reportedly lobbying for Rodgers to return, it felt almost like a foregone conclusion that Rodgers could return.
Mason Rudolph and Will Howard are the only two quarterbacks currently on the roster, with free agents Malik Willis and Kyler Murray available as starting options. Mac Jones is a candidate in the trade market that could make some sense.
It may be a moot point if Rodgers gives the Steelers an answer at some point in the next seven days, but uncertainty remains as the clock continues to tick on Rodgers’ decision, again.
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