Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a game against the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 4, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
During an appearance on the Yahoo Sports Daily Show, former Pittsburgh Steelers running back and Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis made a bold prediction regarding Aaron Rodgers.
If Rodgers returns, and things go haywire, Bettis thinks the Steelers should turn to the young quarterbacks on the roster — Will Howard and Drew Allar.
“I’ve got to give them the best chance to win now. Aaron Rodgers provides that,” Bettis said. “I am going to keep my eye on the future and have some young guys in the queue ready to go at the quarterback position and give them the opportunity; and, if the Aaron Rodgers experiment does not work then, midseason, we’ve got to go in a different direction. If we’re not in playoff position by midseason, we have to pull the plug on this plan.”
Bettis added, “Who wants to sit Aaron Rodgers? That’s the tough part.”
Unless he’s injured, it’s hard to imagine Rodgers coming off the field. The four-time NFL MVP is a fierce competitor and would surely not be pleased if he was benched for Howard or Allar.
Rodgers went 10-6 as the Steelers’ starter last season, throwing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Steelers’ first OTAs practice is on Monday. Rodgers signed in early June last year, so a decision could be made rather soon.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network believes Rodgers is not willing to sign a bargain contract like he did last year. He expects it to be one-year deal in the $20 million range. Rodgers made $13 million plus incentives in 2025.
“There is nothing that I have been told that leads to believe the contract will be a problem with Aaron Rodgers. It’s going to be a one-year deal. It’s going to have a two in front of it, I believe,” Pelissero said. “It’s a pretty straightforward thing because this is not about money for a player who has made $400 million in his career.”
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