Aaron Rodgers finally ended his lengthy decision-making process by agreeing to a 1-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will get to hold off on worrying about the quarterback position for another season. Saturday, the team and Aaron Rodgers agreed to a 1-year deal that will bring the veteran signal caller back to the Steel City in 2026, per multiple reports.
It will be the 22nd season for Rodgers in the NFL and his second in Pittsburgh.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal will be worth as much as $25 million. Rodgers’ base salary will include $22 million guaranteed for the upcoming season, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
A keen Steelers fan grabbed video of Rodgers spending time with other Pittsburgh players in the city Friday. The video led to speculation that a decision could be coming to a head for Rodgers.
Rodgers guided the Steelers to a 10-6 record in the 2025-26 season. It was good enough for Pittsburgh to earn its first AFC North division crown since 2020 and the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. A 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the opening round quickly led to the shift about Rodgers’ future in Pittsburgh and in the NFL.
Now 42 years old, Rodgers had been holding off on making any decision about his future throughout the winter and spring. Retirement had not been out of the question, but signs pointed to Rodgers returning for Year 22 in 2026.
Pittsburgh can now move forward with its starting quarterback in place for at least one more season.
The Aaron Rodgers/Mike McCarthy Show Returns
The underlying storyline of the decision by Rodgers is that it will reunite him with his former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. The Pittsburgh native will make his return to coaching in 2026 following a year away from the sideline. McCarthy spent five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys after parting ways with the Packers.
Rodgers and McCarthy were together for 13 seasons in Green Bay including winning Super Bowl XLV in 2010. The duo combined for at least 10 wins in eight different seasons during their time together with the Packers. Green Bay won 15 games during the regular season in 2011 with Rodgers playing a part in 14 of those victories.
The pair will look to rekindle some of their Green Bay success in the AFC North coming off a 10-win campaign. McCarthy is taking over for Mike Tomlin, who stepped down following the season after 19 years at the helm in Pittsburgh.
Rodgers passed for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns against 7 interceptions during the 2025-26 season. It was the second season following his Achilles injury with the New York Jets in 2023.
Rodgers Joins Suddenly Crowded QB Room In Pittsburgh
The decision by Rodgers means he will be able to take the field for the start of OTA offseason workouts. The Steelers are set to begin their offseason OTAs Monday. Voluntary minicamp took place April 20-22 while rookie minicamp played out earlier this month.
Rodgers didn’t take part in OTAs last year but is expected to do so this time around. It should allow Rodgers to get familiar with the newest members of the team and rekindle his relationship with McCarthy.
Though all indications were that Rodgers would end up back in Pittsburgh, the franchise began planning for life without their QB star. Mason Rudolph was penciled in with the first unit earlier this spring while Drew Allar was selected in the third round of the draft last month. Will Howard is also part of the quarterback room in Pittsburgh.
Per ESPN, McCarthy has never entered a season with four active quarterbacks on any team he’s coached.
“Three quarterbacks is normal, four would be awesome,” McCarthy said last week. “
Rodgers previously said on The Pat McAfee Show that the 2025 season would be his last. However, he continued to contemplate his future following the playoff loss to Houston. Rodgers’ final pass in that game was an interception.
Always one for drama, it would seem there is no clear-cut answer as to whether or not 2026 will be the last season for Rodgers and his NFL career. For now, the Steelers have their man and can move toward defending their division crown this fall.
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