Many around the league believe Aaron Rodgers is seriously weighing a return, especially with the chance to reunite with former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy, who has taken over in Pittsburgh following Mike Tomlin’s 19-year tenure. But nothing is guaranteed. If Rodgers decides to walk away, the in-house options such as Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Skylar Thompson could hold things together. According to Steelers owner Art Rooney II, it may not reach that point if one key conversation takes place.

“We don’t know what Aaron is thinking right now,” Art Rooney said recently in a one-on-one conversation with Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Gerry Dulac. “So we don’t want to jump to conclusions until we know that, and we don’t want to jump to conclusions until Mike and Aaron have a chance to really sit down and talk about how they would feel about working together for another year. So there’s more to come on that front. Let’s put it that way.” 

Last year, former head coach Mike Tomlin reportedly played a major role in convincing Aaron Rodgers to come to Pittsburgh, even as the QB entered his 40s and retirement chatter grew louder. When Tomlin stepped down from his position after the 2025 season, it felt like Rodgers’ time in Pittsburgh might be over as well. But now, Art Rooney has clarified that any decision about Rodgers’ return for 2026 will depend on direct conversations between the QB and McCarthy.

Art Rooney also hinted that clarity is coming soon, noting that his team expects to know Aaron Rodgers’ plans within about a month. However, NFL legend Ben Roethlisberger recently suggested that the Steelers’ timeline for a decision on Rodgers is far shorter than the QB would prefer. 

“Someone within the Steelers gave Aaron, like, a month to make a decision,” Roethlisberger said recently in an interview on Channel Seven. “Again, how true is that? We don’t know. We know Aaron loves to prolong his decisions into the following year, whether it’s spending some time away. Asking for an answer within a month is probably a big deal for him, if there’s truth to it. That’s deciding pretty early about what he wants to do. Maybe he’ll say, hey, listen, go ahead, Steelers. I’m not sure what I want to do, and I’ll push it down the road; maybe go to another team.”

The Steelers’ urgency is understandable considering how well Rodgers performed in his NFL career with McCarthy as his head coach. Between 2008 and 2018, as Rodgers played under McCarthy, he earned two NFL MVP awards, seven Pro Bowl selections, and a Super Bowl title and posted a 100-57-1 record. Rodgers even threw for 42,615 yards, 337 touchdowns, and 79 interceptions, with a passer rating of 103.5 during that time span. 

But now, after 21 seasons in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers isn’t the same quarterback he once was. After signing a one-year deal with the Steelers last year, Rodgers led the team to a 10-7 record to win the AFC North title. Rodgers also threw for 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, with a 65.7% completion rate. But as Rodgers failed to reach the Super Bowl this past season and recently turned 42, retirement remains a very real possibility for him.

Besides, the focus in Pittsburgh’s quarterback room is also shifting with a focus on long-term plans. With McCarthy at the helm, Will Howard and Mason Rudolph are now at the center of the Steelers’ plans for the QB position.

Recently, McCarthy also expressed his excitement to develop Howard, who is a second-year QB. Even so, the Steelers’ front office might want to explore both free agency and the trade market to keep competition strong in the quarterback room. In that context, a veteran QB from Atlanta has also been linked to the Steelers as a potential trade prospect. 

A Falcons QB emerges as an option for the Steelers amid uncertainty over Aaron Rodgers’ return

Even if Aaron Rodgers decides to walk away from Pittsburgh next season, the Steelers will have a new potential quarterback option available via trade. On February 7, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported via X that the Atlanta Falcons are expected to release their veteran QB Kirk Cousins in March, which will be before the beginning of the new league year. This situation related to Cousins further made Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski propose a trade option for the Steelers.

“In Pittsburgh, new head coach Mike McCarthy hired Brian Angelichio as his offensive coordinator,” Sobleski wrote in a recent article. “Angelichio served as Cousins’ passing game coordinator during the 37-year-old veteran’s last two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. If the Falcons are receptive and the Steelers pull the trigger on a trade—even with the possibility of a deal not coming together until after the draft—Pittsburgh would likely pass on a quarterback altogether, with a second option not being selected in this year’s first round.”

Sobleski pointed out that Kirk Cousins already has familiarity with the Steelers’ coaching staff, which could ease the transition if he goes to Pittsburgh. But does Cousins’ recent performance make him a good addition for the Steelers?

The Falcons signed Cousins to a massive four-year, $180 million deal in 2024 after his productive six-year run with the Minnesota Vikings. But just one month later, the Falcons used a first-round pick to draft QB Michael Penix Jr., effectively putting uncertainty over Cousins’ future with the team. 

By Week 16 of the 2024 season, Penix had taken over the starting role. Then Penix opened the first nine games of the 2025 season as the starter before suffering a torn ACL that ended his season.

That situation made way for Cousins to play 10 games during the 2025 season to record 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns, and five interceptions, with a passer rating of 84.8. Cousins also led the Falcons to a 5-3 record in his eight starts.

However, as Penix is still viewed as the Falcons’ future at the QB position, Cousins could look elsewhere to play as the starter. Now, at 37, Cousins might not be a long-term solution for the Steelers, but he could provide stability for the team with his consistency and veteran leadership if Aaron Rodgers chooses not to return. On top of that, having Cousins will also help the Steelers develop Will Howard and wait to target another potential QB in the 2027 NFL Draft.