There’s no denying that when the Green Bay Packers fired Mike McCarthy, the relationship between the head coach and Aaron Rodgers wasn’t in a great place. But fast forward to now, and, certainly, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t hire McCarthy simply to lure Rodgers back for one more season. Still, it’s just as fair to assume that if there’s one coach besides Mike Tomlin that Rodgers might seriously consider playing for, it’s McCarthy.

That’s exactly why the 62-year-old head coach hasn’t shied away from the idea of recreating that old magic in Pittsburgh.
“That’s the plan,” McCarthy said when asked about the possibility of doing just that in 2026. “I think that would be awesome. I think that would be a great chapter in our career.”

For now, Rodgers’ status with the Steelers in 2026 remains uncertain and won’t be resolved anytime soon. Still, there’s a reason the McCarthy-Rodgers reunion continues to generate real discussion. McCarthy coached Rodgers from 2008 (his first as a starter) through the peak of his career in 2018. And the results during that stretch are hard to overlook.

Under McCarthy’s guidance, Rodgers compiled a 100-57-1 record from 2008 to 2018, threw for more than 40,000 yards, and totaled 337 touchdowns with a passer rating of 103.5. Along the way, he earned multiple MVP awards, seven Pro Bowl selections, and a Super Bowl ring. His 2011 season remains the clearest snapshot of that success: a 14-1 record, 4,643 passing yards, 45 touchdowns, and his first career MVP, capped by a Super Bowl title.

But the appeal of that partnership wasn’t only statistical. With Rodgers under center, McCarthy built offenses that leaned into his quarterback’s strengths. Think of timing routes, intermediate and vertical shot plays, and full-field progression reads. That schematic fit is a big reason McCarthy continues to speak openly about wanting to recreate that dynamic with his former signal-caller.

On the other side of this, though, none of this guarantees Rodgers returns for another season in 2026 for a couple of reasons. For starters, while their time together in Green Bay produced elite results, the ending was far from smooth. A Bleacher Report report following McCarthy’s firing noted that tension between the two existed well before the 2018 season came to a close.

By the time McCarthy’s tenure ended, the report suggested Rodgers frequently voiced private frustrations and often changed plays at the line of scrimmage. Second, during his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, McCarthy addressed Rodgers’ possible return, but he also acknowledged the quarterback’s place in the twilight of his career.

“I’ve spoken to Aaron a number of times,” McCarthy said. “But I think just anybody that’s played the game a long time, particularly at this point of their career, it’s important to get away. So, that’s a normal process, I think it’s’ important for all these players to decompress and step away from the season. And that’s the mindset that he’s in, and that’s really about as far as our conversations have gone as if he’s coming back or not coming back.”

That’s why a McCarthy-Rodgers reunion sounds compelling on paper. But it remains complicated in reality. McCarthy’s arrival in Pittsburgh alone doesn’t guarantee Rodgers’ return. That decision still rests with the quarterback, and if clarity is coming, it may arrive sooner rather than later.

Art Rooney suggests a possible Aaron Rodgers return timeline

The Steelers find themselves in a familiar spot once again. Just last year, they waited on Aaron Rodgers to decide whether he wanted to sign in Pittsburgh before eventually bringing him in on a one-year deal. Fast forward to now, that contract has expired, and the Steelers are back in wait-and-see mode, once again awaiting Rodgers’ call on whether he wants to return.

That uncertainty is only amplified by Rodgers’ own words. Back in 2025, the quarterback made it clear that the season could be his last. Still, the hiring of Mike McCarthy has reopened the conversation. Even so, the organization has pushed back on the idea that McCarthy’s arrival was tied to Rodgers’ future. Steelers owner Art Rooney II made that position clear, noting that the quarterback’s situation didn’t heavily factor into the hiring decision and that the team is still waiting for clarity.

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“We don’t know what Aaron’s plans are right now, and that did not weigh heavily in the decision,” Rooney said. “We’ll see where Aaron is, and we’ve left the door open, but obviously we all have to sit down and see if that makes sense. So that’ll happen sometime in the next month or so.”

If Rodgers does decide to return in 2026, he’d be coming off a decent season in Pittsburgh. The veteran threw for more than 3,000 yards, accounted for 24 touchdowns, and finished with a 94.8 passer rating. Still, the offense struggled to consistently generate explosive plays, and the Steelers were unable to advance past the Wild Card round.

That said, a few things are now clear. Mike McCarthy is open, if not eager, to work with Rodgers again. And Rooney expects a decision from the 42-year-old sooner rather than later, likely within the next month.