The NFL doesn’t reward patience. Plans that look solid in August can unravel by October. After two months of watching Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers seem poised to rethink their short-term vision at quarterback.
“Rodgers’ stint in Pittsburgh has gone so well that the team could rethink its 2026 quarterback plans,” Fowler wrote via his weekly ESPN buzz file. “The Steelers will scour the draft market for the QB of the future, for sure. They are already doing so. But if you ask people with the team whether they’d entertain the notion of Rodgers in the black-and-gold in 2026, the answer would be a resounding yes. He has maintained his elite ability to throw the football.”
If Pittsburgh pivots, the inflection point could be coming from both ends: Rodgers is looking great while the 2026 QB draft class is not.
Even the most optimistic of fans didn’t see Rodgers having a chance to shatter the franchise’s single-season TD record, yet that is how things are pacing. He is on track for roughly 40 passing TDs, which would be his most since one of his MVP seasons in 2020. Looking at advanced passing metrics like adjusted net yards per passing attempt (ANY/A), 6.97 this season is his third best dating back to 2017. That would only be behind his two MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.
He even proved he can still throw the ball 70 yards down the field with his Hail Mary pass against the Cincinnati Bengals last Thursday night. It was batted down, but he did his job of getting the ball in the end zone. It was the farthest-thrown pass since 2017.
Does that look like a quarterback who is being chased out of the league by Father Time to you?
His 5-12 record with the New York Jets gave reason for pause, especially after an Achilles tear in 2023, but Rodgers has obviously turned the corner after those struggles.
“Some with the Jets felt Rodgers was compromised for about a six- to eight-week stretch in 2024 because of injury,” Fowler wrote. “Now he’s healthy and a full two years removed from his left Achilles tear. By the end of 2024, however, Jets coaches saw a quarterback on the rise.”
The Steelers must have seen that same thing on tape, because they put all other QB plans on hold to wait out Rodgers’ decision.
All signs pointed to the Steelers drafting a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. They still may if they like a prospect enough, but it’s looking more and more likely that Rodgers will run it back for one last season with the Steelers. That gives them options.
Perhaps one more significant WR trade could be in play after all if Pittsburgh plans on extending its window with Aaron Rodgers.
Some won’t like the idea of kicking the can down the road once again. But how can you pass on a 40-TD quarterback if that’s an option?
