Mike Tomlin, now with NBC, predicts that Aaron Rodgers will return to Steelers: 'He's got a love affair with the game'

Mike Tomlin won’t coach him. But he believes that Aaron Rodgers will return to play quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In his first official capacity as a football analyst for NBC, Tomlin sat down with host Maria Taylor on the network’s NBA pregame show Sunday tonight to promote his new gig. There, Taylor asked Tomlin who he thinks will play quarterback for the Steelers in 2026.

“Man, if you’ve got a gun to my head, I’d say it’s AR, Aaron,” Tomlin responded. “I just think, being around him for the 12 months I’m around him, he’s got a love affair with the game of football. And not only the game, but the process. …

“I think he has an addiction to that. And there’s only one way to feed it. And certainly, he is still capable and in really good shape. I think at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”

Mike Tomlin believes that Aaron Rodgers will return to play another season with the Steelers.

(Nic Antaya via Getty Images)

Tomlin doesn’t appear to have any inside information. But as far as educated guesses on Rodgers’ future go, his carries some weight. Tomlin coached the Steelers for 19 seasons and spent his last season in Pittsburgh with Rodgers as his quarterback.

And with the NFL Draft in the rearview and no deals done to acquire a veteran quarterback, the Steelers appear to be counting on Rodgers’ return. Pittsburgh selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of last week’s draft. But Allar appears at this point to be a long-term project in Pittsburgh and not the Steelers’ planned quarterback of 2026.

The leaves veteran backup and second-year reserve on the depth chart with Allar — neither of whom Pittsburgh should be considering as a starter for next season.