Mike McCarthy has often been linked to staying in contact with Aaron Rodgers. What he actually knows about Rodgers’ mindset, whether it’s leaning toward a return or retirement, is still unclear. What is clear now, though, is how he’s approaching his quarterback room. The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach recently revealed that he would prefer to carry four quarterbacks on the roster.

“It’s the quarterback room,” McCarthy said. “I really enjoy working with Mason [Rudolph] and Will [Howard]. So, however it shakes out. I believe in having three [quarterbacks]. I’ve had two quarterbacks just a few times in my life, but it was Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. That’s a luxury to be in that spot. I believe in having three. Potentially, we’d love to have four if we can make one work for the practice squad.”

The Steelers carried four quarterbacks last season as well, with Rodgers leading the offense, Mason Rudolph as the backup, Will Howard dealing with a hand injury, and Skylar Thompson providing additional depth. The situation now, however, looks different.

At the moment, Pittsburgh has only Rudolph and Howard under contract, with Howard already taking QB1 reps as the team opened voluntary minicamp on Monday. But with less than 48 hours to go before the 2026 NFL Draft, McCarthy has made it clear that depth at the position remains a priority.

Even without an official decision from Rodgers, the Steelers have continued doing their homework. In recent weeks, they hosted four quarterback prospects for top-30 visits, including Drew Allar, Carson Beck, Cole Payton, and Taylen Green.

Holding the No. 21 pick in the first round, Pittsburgh doesn’t appear likely to select a quarterback that early based on the names they’ve evaluated. Moreover, the team also waited until the sixth round in 2025 to draft Howard out of Ohio State, which points toward a similar approach this year.

That leaves Day 2 or Day 3 as the more realistic window for adding another signal-caller, with general manager Omar Khan working alongside McCarthy. If Rodgers does return and the Steelers still draft a quarterback, it would align with McCarthy’s vision of carrying four quarterbacks, with Rudolph and Howard already in place. The remaining question would then shift to Thompson, and where he fits if that scenario plays out.

At the same time, however, the Steelers still have no answer for Aaron Rodgers. He made them wait till the first week of June last year. And the way things are shaping up, there doesn’t seem to be a clear timeline on his return this offseason either.

Art Rooney II had to pivot on his Aaron Rodgers stance

It’s been less than a month since Art Rooney II spoke at the annual league meetings in Phoenix and acknowledged that he was still waiting on an official word from Aaron Rodgers before the draft.

“When I talked to him and [GM] Omar [Khan] talked to him, he told us he wasn’t going to take as long this year as he did last year,” Rooney had said. “I’m not 100 percent sure what that means, but I expect before the draft.”

Fast forward to now, and the draft is right around the corner with all 32 teams preparing to shape their rosters. The Steelers, however, are still waiting on Rodgers, with no clarity yet. For context, Rooney has since adjusted his stance, making it clear that even he isn’t certain whether a decision will come before the draft.

“I don’t know if it’ll be before the draft,” he said, per CBS Pittsburgh’s Bob Pompeani. “I think it’ll be soon. Can’t put an exact day on it or anything like that. But yeah, I think it’ll happen soon. One way or the other.”

What stands out is that Pittsburgh is familiar with how Rodgers handles his offseason timeline. He went on a vacation to Egypt during the 2024 offseason while still with the New York Jets. Then, the Steelers waited until June last year before he went on to throw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while leading them to a division title in 2025.

Even so, this offseason has followed a similar pattern. The Steelers chose not to bring in a veteran quarterback during free agency, a move that could point to confidence in Rodgers returning. Until that decision becomes official, though, the uncertainty continues to shape how Mike McCarthy approaches the quarterback situation.