The Pittsburgh Steelers have not yet been able to sign four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to a new contract for the 2026 season. After a solid 2025 season, Rodgers is expected to re-sign with the club at some point this offseason. However, fans and media members alike are growing tired of him taking his time to make a decision.
On Monday, former NFL punter and current show host Pat McAfee provided some insight into why this process could be taking so long on Rodgers’ end. He cited the fact that Rodgers has dedicated his life to football and that every decision he makes is a thoughtful one.
Aaron Rodgers Should Still Be with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026
GettyAaron Rodgers is set to turn 43 years of age in December.
Here is what McAfee had to say about Rodgers’ mindset as he looks to iron out his near future in Pittsburgh:
“Maybe he’s literally off the grid somewhere, trying to figure out what the hell he wants to do with his life. He has committed, what, 20-something years to the NFL, let alone 30-something years to the game as a whole? I think (Rodgers) is a deep-thinking person who has to make a deep decision about what his future is.”
I don’t think anything has changed and I still think he ends up back with the Steelers”
@AdamSchefter #PMSLiveMcAfee also noted how he is hoping that Rodgers can link back up with his former Green Bay Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy.
Rodgers has certainly earned the right to take as much time as he wants. If he plays this season, it will be his 22nd career season. Arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, he has accomplished everything in his storied career. He doesn’t need to prove anything. But, if he isn’t ready to say goodbye to the game he loves, it seems as though the Steelers are going to be the most likely destination for him in 2026.
Aaron Rodgers Had an Underrated 2025 Season
GettyAaron Rodgers threw 24 touchdown passes for the Steelers in 2025.
Part of the reason why the Steelers want Rodgers back under center for them is that he had a very good year for them a season ago. In what would end up being former head coach Mike Tomlin‘s final season as head coach with the Steelers, the former Super Bowl MVP ended up recording 25 total touchdowns and just seven interceptions. He posted a passer rating of 94.8 and was perhaps the biggest reason why Pittsburgh ended up winning its first AFC North title in five years. Rodgers did it all with a makeshift group of receivers and a suspect defense.
As McCarthy takes over this season, Rodgers has a chance to link back up with the man who helped him first become a superstar. He started under McCarthy for 11 seasons in Green Bay (2008-2018). The team made the playoffs in eight consecutive years, won five NFC North titles, appeared in three NFC Championship games, and brought home Super Bowl XLV. If he can help Rodgers recapture some of that early-career magic, the rest of the AFC may want to get out of the way.
Pat McAfee Reveals Aaron Rodgers’ Thoughts on Steelers Future