Aaron Rodgers is preparing for a highly anticipated 2026 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers as he delays his inevitable retirement. The veteran quarterback continues his relentless quest to capture a second championship ring before officially concluding his legendary career. Former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin recently shared his unique perspective on this massive final push.

Tomlin directly addressed the quarterback’s Super Bowl aspirations during a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.

“I certainly do. I think that’s the only reason Aaron comes back,” Tomlin stated regarding the championship motivations. “He believes it. I believe it. I don’t think he comes back if he doesn’t believe that.”

The Steelers recently hired head coach Mike McCarthy after Tomlin officially stepped down from his long-tenured position. This strategic coaching hire reunites Rodgers with the exact leader who helped him capture Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers back in 2011. This established championship pedigree provides massive optimism for a franchise desperate to snap a historic postseason drought.

“I think they got the bones of having a good unit in all three phases,” Tomlin added. “Certainly, they’re probably not being talked about in the ways that some others are being talked about, but that can be a good motivator and a catalyst for them as well. I think they got high expectations, and I think they should have high expectations.”

CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo recently highlighted the massive historical implications of a potential Pittsburgh championship.

“Rodgers already cemented his status as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. A second Super Bowl win, however, would put him in even more rarefied air,” DeArdo wrote. “Rodgers would join Brady and Peyton Manning as the only starting quarterbacks to win Super Bowls with multiple franchises. Rodgers would also join Brady as the only starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl after turning 40.”

Rodgers enjoyed a solid 2025 debut with the Steelers, passing for 3,322 yards and 25 total touchdowns against just seven interceptions. So, he already has the momentum to put forward a stronger season. 

What better way for Rodgers to engrave his name in Pittsburgh history? The team went ten seasons without a playoff win, and no close games in recent seasons. This has left the Steelers in their worst playoff drought since they captured their first Super Bowl in 1974.

Meanwhile, when it comes to Rodgers’ 2026 run, both hit-and-bust narratives are doing the rounds. 

Aaron Rodgers’ final season could go either way in Pittsburgh

Ahead of the 2026 season, FanSided published its quarterback rankings. Almost 50 experts weighed in to grade every NFL quarterback on a 12-point scale. The quarterbacks were then separated into different tiers based on their scores. There came a grounding alert for Rodgers and the Steelers fans.

The Pittsburgh quarterback received a 7.52 overall grade, good for 20th among 93 quarterbacks ahead of the 2026 season. He was placed alone in the “Solid Starter” tier, narrowly missing the “Strong QB1” group that featured 11 quarterbacks, including Caleb Williams (9.38) and Jordan Love (9.32) among others. 

“Because of this (and for many other reasons), we can acknowledge that Rodgers is, at best, a mid-level quarterback in a crowded QB conference,” wrote Still Curtain’s Tommy Jaggi. “Thus, Steelers fans should have grounded expectations for the 42-year-old in what he insists will be his final NFL season.”

However, others believe that this season will be better for Rodgers compared to the previous season, given the additions Pittsburgh made. 

“Aaron Rodgers Will Throw for at Least 3,800 Yards,” Roundtable Sports’ Evan Massey made a bold projection.

This came from the confidence of having the top wideout DK Metcalf back on the roster. The Steelers also added Michael Pittman Jr. It’s now time to see which narrative Rodgers finds himself in at the end of the 2026 season.