When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it seemed like their 2025 quarterback troubles were finally behind them. A-Rod came in carrying four MVP titles, a Super Bowl ring, and an air of perfectionism that immediately shifted the locker room vibe. Now, the Steelers insiders are noticing that the bar is slightly higher than before.

“I don’t think that you could find a guy that really has a negative thing to say about Rodgers. … When you watch him on prime time… there’s going to be an instance where you see him running down the field and getting in the face of one of his wide receivers or one of his running backs. But if you talk to the guys in the locker room, to them, that’s really a good thing,” said Scoop City’s Mike DeFabo. 

“… because he is Aaron Rodgers, guys realize, ‘hey, I don’t want to be the reason why we’re messing up. Rodgers is going to know what he’s doing.’ And so, you’re seeing a very hands-on approach from Rodgers. … I think it’s kind of raising the bar for the whole offense as a whole.”

Inside the locker room, Rodgers isn’t a distant star. He’s coaching, leading, and connecting with teammates at every level. DeFabo recalled an instance from training camp where A-Rod was showing wideout Roman Wilson how to run routes in sync with his throws. But the most recent example would be Rodgers going through scout team reps to prepare the team for their upcoming clash against the Green Bay Packers.

Wide receiver Ben Skowronek calls the QB a “glue guy.” Rodgers hosts dinners, invites players to his Malibu home, and even takes offensive linemen to a Penguins game. But don’t mistake the friendly vibe for softness. “He demands a lot of perfection,” noted tight end Pat Freiermuth. “But there’s a calmness to the approach during the week where you’re not stressed out… He teaches you. He leads with grace.” This mix is lifting a young Steelers offense that’s suddenly playing with playoff-level focus.

The results say it all. Pittsburgh’s 4-2 heading into Week 8. Their offense ranks 4th in red zones with a 72.2% touchdown rate and eighth on third-down conversions. But stats aside, it’s the shift in culture that counts even more. This offense isn’t making rookie mistakes anymore. They’re executing plays with a new edge, knowing that Aaron Rodgers won’t accept anything less than perfection.

But what does this mean for the Steelers’ plans for their quarterback future? Ever since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats, head coach Mike Tomlin has faced an increasingly confusing quarterback shuffle. The 2025 season seems locked in with Aaron Rodgers. But what about beyond?

Mike Tomlin wants Aaron Rodgers on board for the 2026 QB role

The Steelers waited months for Aaron Rodgers to make up his mind about suiting up in black and gold. It was evident how much Mike Tomlin wanted AR8 to lead the team. The head coach even hyped up Rodgers’ resume when he finally joined. Meanwhile, Rodgers made it clear initially that the 2025 season will be his twilight, and he will disappear from the scene once the season is done. But is that still the case even now?

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently reported that Mike Tomlin & Co. could pursue Rodgers to run it back for the 2026 season. “Rodgers’ stint in Pittsburgh has gone so well that the team could rethink its 2026 quarterback plans. The Steelers will scour the draft market for the QB of the future, for sure. They are already doing so. But if you ask people with the team whether they’d entertain the notion of Rodgers in the black-and-gold in 2026, the answer would be a resounding, ‘Yes.’ – It’s a long season, Rodgers is 41, and what he does next year is anyone’s guess. … But the marriage has been a successful one for both parties, and perhaps that continues beyond this season.”

Originally, Rodgers was seen as a short-term fix. A stopgap veteran to haul in some wins while the hunt for the franchise quarterback continues. That hunt hasn’t stopped, but Rodgers is not a band-aid solution anymore. He has ignited the offense. And the locker room has inherited his flair for perfection, trying to translate that onto the field each week. For now, we wait to see Rodgers go up against his old team and prove that his effect on the locker room is real. What happens beyond this season, we still have a long time to find out…