As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue their waiting game with free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a former franchise great wishes the four-time MVP would provide an answer soon so the team can “move forward” ahead of Mike McCarthy’s first season as coach.
Rod Woodson, a Pro Football Hall of Famer who played 10 seasons with the Steelers and holds the NFL record for interception returns for touchdowns, said this week he’s growing weary of the Rodgers charade. Rodgers revealed earlier this month during an interview with Pat McAfee he wasn’t sure where he would play this year — if at all.
“Is he gonna play? Listen, I get kinda tired of it,” Woodson said on The Rich Eisen Show. “Listen, if he’s gonna play, say he’s gonna play, he’s gonna come back. And the team shouldn’t wait for Aaron Rodgers. They need to move forward.”
Rodgers signed a one-year, incentives-laced deal with the Steelers last summer and initially planned for the 2025 season to be his last given what had transpired the two previous years with the New York Jets. After getting to the playoffs last fall with the Steelers, Rodgers now says since there’s been “no deadline” put in front of him, he’s still deciding on his decision while staying in shape.
Woodson’s had enough of Rodgers’ indecision, he says. By comparison, the Steelers have been a bit more patient with a quarterback who still plays the position at a high level.
Rodgers helped the Steelers capture their first AFC North division title since 2020 last season and went 10-7 overall as their starter.
“What is it with these ex-Green Bay Packers quarterbacks that they have to be talked about all the time?” Woodson said. “‘Cause Brett Favre was that way for years. Remember how we used to have to talk about Brett Favre, talk about Brett Favre.”
Pittsburgh currently has two quarterbacks under contract for 2026 — Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. Howard was a sixth-round pick in 2025 and Rudolph signed a two-year deal with the Steelers last offseason. The lack of a real plan at the position irks Woodson, who believes the Steelers missed on a potential franchise player under last cycle.
“They should’ve taken Jaxson Dart (in the 2025 NFL Draft),” Woodson said. “He fell to them. It was the best opportunity for them to take that quarterback who has that swag, kinda fit into that Steeler mold.”
QB options for Steelers
If Pittsburgh fails to re-sign Rodgers, much of the offseason plan thus far would’ve been for naught considering the Steelers didn’t go after any of the most-talented free agent quarterbacks, including Malik Willis and Kyler Murray. The San Francisco 49ers are willing to move Mac Jones and perhaps the Steelers would see him as a stop-gap or sorts without Rodgers, but he’s in a less coveted tier.
Outside of getting Rodgers back, the only other notable veteran options available are Kirk Cousins, Joe Flacco, Jimmy Garoppolo and Russell Wilson.
Pittsburgh’s previous, one-year experiment with Wilson led to a postseason berth in 2024 after the former Super Bowl winner went 6-5 overall before signing with the New York Giants last March. In 11 games with the Steelers, Wilson threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns with five interceptions, prior to a wild card playoff loss to Baltimore.
Pittsburgh could decide to invest in another quarterback with its upcoming first-round pick at No. 21 overall, the likely options in that spot being former Alabama signal-caller Ty Simpson or Miami star Carson Beck. Judging from McCarthy’s glowing opinion of Howard via Art Rooney, however, the Steelers appear ready to brace themselves by moving forward with last year’s draft selection at the position if the Rodgers situation fails to materialize.
McCarthy has spoken to Rodgers this offseason and said in January he considered the quarterback a “great asset” to the team that the franchise would welcome back. McCarthy and Rodgers enjoyed a decorated run together previously with the Packers that included a Super Bowl win at the Steelers’ expense at the end of the 2010 season.
The duo also fueled Green Bay’s eight straight playoff appearances from 2009-16. During that span, Rodgers won a Super Bowl MVP and the first two of his eventual four league MVP awards. From a comfortability standpoint, McCarthy wouldn’t have to tailor his offense much at all with Rodgers back in tow.
And to Woodson’s point, the Steelers need answers from the Rodgers camp, soon.
