In his post-season press conference on January 14, Art Rooney II seemed to suggest quarterback Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t be back for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026. The reason Rooney gave was Rodgers came to Pittsburgh to play for Mike Tomlin, who had just stepped down as head coach.
But in his first interview after hiring Mike McCarthy to replace Rodgers, Rooney sounded a bit different while addressing Rodgers’s potential Pittsburgh future.
“We don’t know what Aaron’s plans are right now, and that did not weigh heavily in the decision,” Rooney said to Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola. “We’ll see where Aaron is, and we’ve left the door open, but obviously we all have to sit down and see if that makes sense.
“So that’ll happen sometime in the next month or so.”
Art Rooney II Says ‘Door Open’ to Aaron Rodgers Return
That wasn’t the only instance where Rooney mentioned Rodgers in his interview with Labriola. The veteran signal-caller came up again when the Steelers team president addressed how McCarthy views the quarterback room.
“He likes Will Howard, thinks Will has tremendous upside and is looking forward to working with him,” said Rooney. “Obviously feels like Mason can be a contributor. We’ll have to sit down and discuss where Aaron is, if he decides to come back, and whether that all makes sense.
“I think Mike was very comfortable with the quarterback room and the possibilities with the quarterback room. In particular, the fact we have a young quarterback on the roster in whom he sees some upside.”
It’s important to note Rooney added the team didn’t hire McCarthy to court Rodgers away from retirement. NFL insiders also reported that when news the Steelers were hiring McCarthy broke Saturday.
NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero also reported Saturday that McCarthy is “very intrigued” by Will Howard’s upside. Rooney confirmed that in his interview with Labriola.
So, it’s far from a guarantee Rodgers will be back in 2026. But leaving open the possibility of a return appears to already be a change in the team’s offseason approach.
What Rooney Initially Said About a Rodgers Return
Again, Steelers Nation shouldn’t expect Rodgers to be back in 2026. Rooney merely stated the decision will come later in the offseason.
Both the Steelers and Rodgers have a choice to make. Even if the veteran quarterback wants to play in 2026, he could decide to leave for another team.
But Rooney’s leaving the door open remark is a slight change from what he said on January 14 about Rodgers potentially coming back.
“Aaron came here to play for Mike, so I think it will most likely affect his decision,” said Rooney.
Rodgers started all but one game for the Steelers during the 2025 season. In 16 starts, he led the team to a 10-6 record while throwing for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
Rodgers started for McCarthy with the Green Bay Packers for 11 seasons from 2008-18. During that time, Rodgers won two MVP awards and won a Super Bowl.
With McCarthy as his head coach, Rodgers went 100-57-1 as a starter while averaging 7.8 yards per pass. He also had 337 passing touchdowns and 79 interceptions.
Steelers’ Art Rooney II Changes Tune on Potential Aaron Rodgers 2026 Return