Steelers' QB saga only ending 1 way for analyst

Steelers' QB saga only ending 1 way for analyst originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, under Mike McCarthy, must be eagerly awaiting a text or phone call from Aaron Rodgers to tell them of his plans for 2026.

Because right now, at least publicly, the franchise doesn't appear to have any idea which way it will go, and given that the offseason program begins soon, that is far from ideal.

With a couple of quarterbacks on the roster who could be seen as starters if Rodgers retires, most expect No. 8 to return in 2026.

And for CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo, it's a move he thinks will happen.

“For a second straight year, the Steelers concluded the draft without a definitive answer from Rodgers,” DeArdo writes. “If Rodgers comes back, he'll have an improved group of skill players that includes newcomers in running back Rico Dowdle, veteran receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie receiver Germie Bernard.”

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Will Rodgers return in 2026?

It feels like a literal coin flip, and the fact that we haven't gotten a decision, and it is now past the draft, is head-scratching.

Surely Rodgers knows what he's going to do by now, right? How long can the Steelers wait? They saw Rodgers return for minicamp last offseason, so is that the timeline we should follow?