Playing for a third different team in as many seasons is something a quarterback would usually try to avoid. Yet somehow, Aaron Rodgers has found himself in that exact conversation heading into his 22nd NFL season. With the Pittsburgh Steelers still waiting on his decision, the 42-year-old has also been linked to the Arizona Cardinals. And now, Cardinals wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has added another layer to it.

“@AaronRodgers12 Come on we waiting on you 👀😁,” Bourne wrote on his official X handle.

Bourne’s post picked up traction just days after reports suggested the Cardinals could explore a move for Rodgers ahead of the 2026 season. The idea was first floated by CBS Sports’ John Breech, who pointed to a potential reunion between the veteran quarterback and a familiar voice on the coaching staff.

“At this point, their QB situation is still up in the air. Going into April, Jacoby Brissett appeared to have the inside track, but he’s skipping the team’s voluntary workouts because he wants to be paid like a starter. Instead of giving Brissett more money, the Cardinals could simply call Rodgers and offer that money to him,” Breech wrote.

The logic ties back to the Cardinals’ recent hire of Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator. Hackett previously worked with Rodgers in the Green Bay Packers, including during his MVP seasons in 2020 and 2021.

When Rodgers later moved to the New York Jets, the team had already hired Hackett as its new OC, which only strengthens the connection to Arizona. That context helps explain why the link isn’t coming out of nowhere. As that gained traction, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio weighed in as well.

“Nathaniel Hackett, his former offensive coordinator with the Packers and the Jets, has that same role in Arizona now,” Florio wrote. “And Mike LaFleur, brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur (with whom Rodgers won a pair of NFL MVP awards), is the Cardinals’ head coach. Last year, Mike LaFleur was the Rams’ offensive coordinator. They viewed Rodgers as a potential Plan B, if Matthew Stafford had been traded to the Giants or the Raiders.”

As things stand, the Cardinals are carrying multiple journeyman quarterbacks into the 2026 season in Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, with Carson Beck joining the quarterback room as a third-round rookie from the 2026 NFL draft class. The idea of Rodgers in Arizona is interesting, but for now, it remains early-stage speculation.

Whether Rodgers even considers the move and answers Bourne’s call is still unclear. What is clear, though, is that the Steelers are waiting, and that patience may not last forever.

Steelers’ patience with Aaron Rodgers is running out

As the rookie minicamp unfolded this weekend, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported that the Steelers’ patience with Aaron Rodgers may be wearing thin. In his report, Dulac wrote:

“The Steelers have displayed saint-like patience waiting for Aaron Rodgers to say he is coming back for the 2026 season, even though a large portion of their fan base doesn’t agree with their approach. After watching two of their “expected’ deadlines come and go — and insisting this isn’t the same situation as last year — the Steelers might not be so understanding if this drags on for two more weeks.”

Rodgers followed a similar timeline last year as well, with the Steelers waiting until June before he signed a one-year deal. So they know how this usually plays out, and for the most part, they’ve been willing to go along with it. The difference this time is the added context around the situation.

To put it simply, Omar Khan insisted this offseason wouldn’t mirror last year, when Rodgers didn’t sign until June. Yet here things stand. Fast forward to the annual meetings, and Art Rooney II said he expected a decision from Rodgers before the draft, but that never happened.

With OTAs up next, the Steelers have placed an unrestricted free agent tender on the 42-year-old as a procedural move in case he signs elsewhere. At the same time, the Cardinals have emerged as a potential suitor, and Dulac suggests OTAs could now act as the next real checkpoint.

“If Rodgers hasn’t given them a decision by the start of organized team activities on May 18 — their latest, uh, deadline — their patience will start to turn into frustration, and maybe something more,” Dulac wrote.

Last season, Rodgers started 16 games for the Steelers, going 10-6 while completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, helping Pittsburgh win the AFC North and reach the playoffs. After a wildcard exit, the Steelers are now waiting to see if Rodgers runs it back for one more year. Will he or won’t he? That answer still isn’t here, but it feels like it needs to come before OTAs.