Aaron Rodgers' Updated Timeline for Steelers Decision - Sort Of
Last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter floated on “The Pat McAfee Show” that four-time NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers could walk out on the 2026 NFL Draft stage in Pittsburgh and announce his return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Schefter was pretty clearly joking, but it took off regardless.
By Friday, Rich Eisen asked NFL insider Tom Pelissero whether he believed Rodgers, 42, would actually end our long national nightmare - my words, not Eisen’s - and announce his decision at the draft.
“I would say I have no anticipation right now that Aaron Rodgers is going to announce anything prior to the draft,” Pelissero said. “I know that [Steelers owner] Art Rooney had indicated that they hoped it would be around then. I have not been told that. I don’t think that that’s really a deadline from the Steelers’ perspective.”
Pelissero continued: “Really, the important thing for Pittsburgh is having Rodgers there by the time OTAs kick off in mid-May, so he’s out there on the grass actually practicing with the team. Now, it’s Rodgers. We all know that he does unexpected things sometimes. I would say attending the NFL draft is probably not high on Aaron Rodgers’ bucket list. It would certainly save us a lot of words and a lot of speculation for weeks to come if he did show up and do that.”
Pelissero’s take aligns with how Rodgers and the Steelers handled this last year. Rodgers waited until June to sign his one-year contract. We all probably would have assumed Rodgers would wait until the summer again if Steelers general manager Omar Khan didn’t tell reporters at February’s NFL Combine: “I don’t foresee this going like it did last year.”
Rodgers did not seem in a rush whatsoever when appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show” on March 4.
“I’ve talked to [Steelers head coach] Mike [McCarthy],” Rodgers said. “I’ve talked to Omar. There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me. There's no contract offer or anything, so there's nothing that I'm having to debate between. I’m a free agent, and I’m enjoying my time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason.”
Veteran backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard are the only two quarterbacks on the Steelers’ roster heading into the draft. This draft is not rich in quarterbacks, so it’s highly unlikely Pittsburgh finds its starter for 2026 next weekend. It will either be Howard or Rodgers.
The 2026 NFL Draft will run from Thursday, April 23, to Saturday, April 25, in Pittsburgh. The Steelers hold 12 total picks, the highest of any team, including the No. 21 overall pick.
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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 9:22 PM.