Mike McCarthy has officially filled out the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff. Now, figuring out who will be the team’s quarterback for the 2026 season should be on the top of his to-do list. The Steelers haven’t had much consistency under center since Ben Roethlisberger retired. While reports suggest that they could bring Aaron Rodgers back, that’s not guaranteed. Because of that, Chris Simms believes the Steelers have the biggest question mark at quarterback going into the offseason.
“I think the obvious one is probably Pittsburgh, as far as where they go,” Simms said recently on The Dan Patrick Show. “A playoff football team, we’ve got no idea who the quarterback is going to be. Aaron Rodgers, Mike McCarthy, it didn’t seem like it ended the most perfect way when it was in Green Bay. Now, here they may be thrusted back together.”
“Then, is he gonna understand that the quarterback of the future is not on the roster of the Steelers? If they bring him back, is he gonna be okay if they draft Ty Simpson in the first round? If they go 2-5 to start the year, is Ty Simpson gonna be in and is [Rodgers] gonna be able to deal with that. That, to me, is probably the most intriguing one.”
Rodgers and McCarthy were together with the Green Bay Packers from 2006-2018. McCarthy was fired before the 2018 season ended, and rumors suggested that the relationship between he and Rodgers had deteriorated.
That might make it seem odd why Rodgers would forego retirement to join McCarthy’s Steelers. However, it sounds like their years apart have repaired their relationship. McCarthy has been nothing but enthusiastic when the topic of Rodgers potentially re-signing with Pittsburgh comes up. Also, Rodgers said multiple times that the past few years gave him a greater appreciation for his time in Green Bay.
Therefore, a reunion between them doesn’t feel too unlikely. Just as well, Steelers players reportedly asked the team to bring Rodgers back after the season ended. He’s not the same player that he used to be, but he wasn’t the biggest problem with Pittsburgh’s offense.
Rodgers’ presence with the Steelers if they draft a quarterback in the first round might not be as big of an issue as Simms believes, either. He was a good mentor for Will Howard last year. Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who the team drafted in the first round while Rodgers was still their starter, has had nothing but good things to say about the four-time MVP.
Could things change if the Steelers bench Rodgers? Sure, but that’s a bridge they’ll cross when they come to it. They don’t even know yet if Rodgers will return to the NFL. Art Rooney II wants the Steelers to compete for a championship. If the team believes that Rodgers gives them the best chance to do that, then they’ll sign him.