Most of the NFL world didn’t know what version of Aaron Rodgers the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to get. They were confident in their decision to wait and eventually sign him. And so far that’s clearly paying off.
Rodgers has flirted with coming back for another season, but of course nothing is definitive yet. At this point, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly thinks there’s a split chance that Rodgers decides to return.
“Probably 50/50 at this point,” Kaboly said Monday on 93.7 The Fan. “If you’re playing this well, and your body still feels good, and you like what you’re doing, I don’t see why he would not come back. But listen, it’s gonna be much of the same. Whole offseason, is Aaron coming back? I mean, there’s a lot of room to go, a lot of time to go. But man, if you’re playing that well, forget it. I would come back.”
When Rodgers took a couple of months to make his decision this past offseason, it irked a lot of Steelers fans. He already had a stain on his reputation after the disaster that was his time in New York. At that point, the public opinion about him seemed to be at an all-time low, and fans thought it was beneath the Steelers to wait for him in the way they did.
Through six games, Aaron Rodgers has changed the mind of just about everyone who had that opinion. He has 14 touchdown passes and just five interceptions, a couple of which have been unlucky. His 105.0 passer rating is the highest it’s been since his MVP season in 2021. And aside from his two MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021, it’s his highest rating since 2016.
There are problems offensively, but it’s not Rodgers. The Steelers hoped to have him simply protect and manage the game while their defense cemented wins, but it’s been the opposite. He still has the mind for the position, can throw at a high level, and is moving on his Achilles much better this year. For someone who loves football as much as he says he does, and seems to like Pittsburgh, it’s hard to imagine him not coming back given those circumstances.
The Steelers have been pegged as a team that likely drafts a quarterback early in next April’s draft. Even if they do, it could still make sense to keep Rodgers around. He’s been a good mentor before, helping Jordan Love along in Green Bay. Knowing he can start for what would likely be the final season of his career, it could make sense for him to stick around and mentor a rookie. The Steelers would certainly enjoy that.
That said, this is a soon to be 42-year-old we’re talking about. There’s always the chance his age catches up to him and he decides to hang it up. And even if he does return in 2026, it could entail another two-month wait next offseason. However, with the way he’s playing right now, the Steelers might not be too upset about that.
