The Pittsburgh Steelers decision-makers, owner Art Rooney II and general manager Omar Khan, swore this offseason was different. The second iteration of an Aaron Rodgers would be a snapshot, not a full-length movie including previews and post-show credits.
They were wrong.
This offseason played out exactly the same. Months of waiting, speculation, conspiracy theories, and ultimately, an expected post-draft signing.
Now, Pittsburgh must hope the 2026 season plays out with a different ending than 2025.
If you want to get technical, and if the Internet has proven me anything, it very much does, this year’s saga wrapped up a little sooner than last year’s. In 2025, Rodgers didn’t sign until early June, right ahead of mandatory minicamp. This time, Rodgers got the deal done in mid-May before its voluntary portion. How much of it Rodgers attends remains to be seen. Reportedly, he’ll be there today, and it makes sense for him to stay the first week. Don’t be shocked if he skips at least a handful of practices, supplementing with another California throwing session pre-camp.
The Steelers’ powers that be didn’t think it would take this long. Khan swore this offseason wouldn’t play out like this. Rooney did the same, citing an apparent conversation with Rodgers in which the team was told his timeline would be much quicker than a year ago. Partly since Rodgers knew the team and partly since his decision date started sooner: March of 2025 after the New York Jets released him, January 2026 after Pittsburgh’s playoff loss and Mike McCarthy’s hire.
Khan once laughed to a reporter at the notion of Rodgers waiting until the draft. Rooney outright went on record expecting a decision before then. That deadline came and went. In optics, Pittsburgh looked entirely out of control of the situation. Each time they faced the media, they came hat in hand to explain why Rodgers blew past those dates. Mike McCarthy once tried to spin it by saying it was a good thing Rodgers was away from spring workouts, giving young quarterbacks a chance to absorb reps.
Flatly, it was an embarrassing look for them to be strung along and just as wrong as many reporters and pundits who made their own predictions: before free agency, before the draft, and finally, by OTAs. At least in 2025, the team set no sort of timeline of when Rodgers might show.
Only Pittsburgh’s use of the rare unrestricted free agent tender brought a new twist to the story. A procedural move, one that ultimately proved moot by Rodgers’ joining this weekend.
Football’s vacuum caused the same media cycle. Endless national media chatter of will-he, won’t-he, and should-they-sign-him. Most of it the same tired talking points, bland commentary, and useless speculation or proclamation. Hand up, we wrote about Rodgers, too. But this is also a website that pens scouting reports of FCS linebackers, salary cap deep dives, and kicker Booth Lusteg. We have plenty to offer those tuckered out of the Rodgers’ talk.
The empty space also left room for conspiracies. In 2025, buzz was Rodgers would make a grand reveal during Pat McAfee’s Big Night Aht event in Pittsburgh. That came and went without Rodgers’ mention. In 2026, several thought Rodgers would show up at the NFL Draft and steal the spotlight. Wrong. That didn’t stop Mike Florio from indulging both possibilities.
Why wait so long for Rodgers? Pittsburgh’s calculation seemingly remains the same. The Steelers want to win now, and Rodgers gives them the best chance for immediate results. This offseason, it was hard to find an option better than Rodgers – at least, for 2026. Perhaps Malik Willis but he was costlier on a multi-year deal and seemed destined to join Miami with its lack of income tax and reunion with former Green Bay men Jeff Hafley and Jon-Eric Sullivan. Free agency offered Pittsburgh little, the draft even less. Drew Allar is McCarthy’s long-term project, not quick fix.
The juice is worth the squeeze. The months of waiting, mocking, and standing around for Rodgers to make up his mind, will be worth it if Rodgers can lead the Steelers into the playoffs. That’s the mentality the team is proceeding with. Is it right? That’s certainly up for debate.
What must be different is outcome. Rodgers led Pittsburgh to its first divisional title since 2020. This year needs to end in a postseason win to feel like a success. To feel like the franchise got somewhere different. That doesn’t counter the concern of what Pittsburgh will do at quarterback in 2027 and beyond, fair questions to ask, but that needs to be the aim.
Could it happen? It’s possible. The wide receivers are better. The roster feels improved. McCarthy and Rodgers know each other well, for better or worse. Even if rifts formed late in their Packers tenure, they seem to be mended now. This is a one-year reunion where a honeymoon period can last just long enough to overcome any big fissures from bubbling back up.
Most in the league doubt it’ll happen. At best, the belief is Pittsburgh will continue to tread water at its 9-8, 10-7 pace. Rodgers needs to prove them wrong. If not, the Steelers will enter 2027 wondering why the team endured a season that looked like the one before it.