
Aaron Rodgers has not yet decided if he will play in 2026, impacting the Steelers' draft plans. A decision is expected by mid-March, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
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Will Aaron Rodgers play for Steelers in 2026? Here's the latest
Green Bay Packers fans have heard this one before.
Former Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, 42, has yet to decide whether he'll play in 2026, making things difficult for the Pittsburgh Steelers as they head into this week's NFL Draft.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in February that Rodgers' call on 2026 "is expected sooner than last year and there is a belief it could come by mid-March."
But the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, who had indicated that odds were increasing that Rodgers would reunite with former coach and new Pittsburgh coach Mike McCarthy, said that decision may not come in time for the draft, after all.
“I have no anticipation Aaron Rodgers is going to announce anything prior to the draft,” Pelissero said April 17 on "The Rich Eisen Show." “I know that Art Rooney II had indicated that they hoped it would be around then. I’ve not been told that. I don’t think that’s really a deadline from the Steelers' perspective. Really, the important thing for Pittsburgh is having Rodgers there by the time OTAs kick off in mid-May."
Though Rodgers hadn't indicated his plans by this time last year, the Steelers notably avoided taking a quarterback with their early picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, taking place in Green Bay, before selecting Will Howard from Ohio State in the sixth round. By then, Pittsburgh was seen as perhaps the last logical landing spot for Rodgers if he returned to the NFL.
Aaron Rodgers has not made a decision about playing in the 2026 NFL season yet.
Rodgers' uncertainty about playing in 2026 complicates the Steelers' preparations for the NFL Draft.
Rodgers is expected to announce his decision regarding the 2026 season by mid-March.


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Rodgers made 16 starts, going 10-6 and helping the Steelers reach the playoffs as AFC North champions, completing 65.7% of his passes – his third-highest total in the past nine seasons – with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
The Steelers will already be spotlighted as host of the 2026 draft, running April 23-25.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aaron Rodgers' decision about Steelers, 2026 remains a mystery