The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation is anything but set heading into the 2026 offseason. The team only has two quarterbacks currently under contract, and those would be Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. With both Skylar Thompson and Aaron Rodgers both unrestricted free agents, no one knows what to expect with this decision looming over the organization.
After the Super Bowl many insiders were getting inside information on the Steelers situation, and almost every one of them foreshadowed a reunion between Rodgers and the Steelers. However, most assumed Rodgers would make a decisions sooner, rather than later, but Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk was hearing the Steelers could be waiting on Rodgers longer than most expected.
Again.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Steelers definitely want quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return for 2026.” Florio said. “It’s not a ploy to make Rodgers think they want him back while hoping he doesn’t return. They want him to return.
“And here’s the kicker. They’re in no hurry. While they don’t anticipate that the situation will take quite as long as it did last year to resolve itself, they’re content to focus on developing second-year quarterback Will Howard. With Rodgers not there for the offseason program, Howard has a chance to become QB1 over Mason Rudolph.”
It wouldn’t shock anyone to see Rodgers sit out the vast majority of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and then decide to return to the team when the real “team” activities. But it will ultimately come down to what Rodgers does, or does not, want to do.
“It all comes down to what Rodgers wants to do, and when he chooses to do it. Taking his time to make a decision allows him to miss the voluntary portion of the offseason program without criticism or scrutiny from the outside.” Florio added.
But the one thing no one is considering, outside of Florio, is if Rodgers could potentially want to return to a team other than the Steelers. There might be more suitors than many believe, and the Minnesota Vikings are one of those teams, according to Florio.
“One question for Rodgers will be whether and to what extent other options emerge. Last year, it was basically the Steelers or no one. This year, maybe the Vikings warm up to the idea of a season with Rodgers. If they don’t, the choices could be Pittsburgh or Del Boca Vista.”
This story is just starting to develop, and there will be more reports and rumors surrounding not just Rodgers, but the entire quarterback situation as free agency looms in March and the 2026 NFL Draft in the spring.
Be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they prepare for the start of free agency in March.