The Pittsburgh Steelers have options at quarterback heading into the 2026 season. But once the franchise hired Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin, the focus quickly shifted to the familiar question: Will Aaron Rodgers return for one more year, this time under his former head coach? Rodgers hasn’t answered it yet, and likely won’t anytime soon. McCarthy, though, didn’t sidestep it when asked. Instead, he framed the situation realistically, acknowledging Rodgers’ place in the twilight of his career.

“I’ve spoken to Aaron a number of times,” McCarthy said during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. “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. So, I think it’s important for him to do the things that he normally does just to step away and make those decisions.”

In other words, Rodgers is in decision mode and not in commitment mode. And while McCarthy stops short of predicting anything, retirement still feels like the more likely outcome than another season. However, many thought the same thing a year ago as well. Ultimately, the 42-year-old signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. That deal has now expired, and here we are again, having the same conversation, even though Rodgers previously said the 2025 season would be his last.

The difference this time is the weight behind the decision. Rodgers failed to win a postseason game with the Steelers and finished the year frustrated. At the same time, there’s growing speculation about a full McCarthy-Rodgers reunion in Pittsburgh. That idea gained more traction after McCarthy brought in his longtime offensive line coach James Campen, under whom Rodgers spent a significant portion of his career in Green Bay.

Still, there’s a counterpoint. Ahead of the 2025 season, Rodgers made it clear he didn’t want to interfere with Arthur Smith’s play-calling and instead preferred focusing on mentoring younger quarterbacks. Fast forward to now, and the Steelers do have fallback options. They’re unlikely to draft a quarterback in 2026. But Mason Rudolph remains on the roster, and so does Will Howard. Still, everything circles back to Rodgers.

McCarthy made it clear that Rodgers has intentionally stepped away from football to clear his head before making that call. And the decision still remains very much up in the air. At the same time, McCarthy shed light on his transition into the Steelers’ head coaching role, addressing whether he received the same warm welcome from his predecessor that Mike Tomlin once did from Bill Cowher.

Mike McCarthy didn’t receive the same welcome as Mike Tomlin

When Bill Cowher stepped away from the Steelers and the franchise handed the job to Mike Tomlin, Cowher left behind a small but memorable welcome. Years later, during Cowher’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 2021, Tomlin shared that Cowher had left two cans of I.C. Light beer in the office fridge while cleaning out his space. That same welcome, however, didn’t exactly get passed down to Mike McCarthy. And when the topic came up, McCarthy didn’t dodge it. Instead, he leaned into it with a bit of dry humor.

“Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin have been awesome through the experience. But I think Mike drank those IC Lights,” McCarthy replied to McAfee when asked about the same, while sharing a laugh. “But I’m sure Mike and I will catch up down the road here and have a couple ourselves.”

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The comment fit the moment. McCarthy has spoken openly about his respect for both Tomlin and Cowher, even noting during his introductory press conference that he felt fortunate to call them friends. And while he didn’t receive the same symbolic welcome Tomlin once did, and while his hiring hasn’t been without criticism, one thing is clear: Mike McCarthy seems comfortable in Pittsburgh and genuinely energized by his new role as the Steelers’ head coach.