The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly given Aaron Rodgers until the 2026 NFL Draft to decide if he will play one more season or retire. So, will four-time NFL MVP return or hang up his boots? According to a key teammate, the odds are no better than a coin flip.

Linebacker Patrick Queen, who is in the final year of his $40 million contract, recently appeared on Good Morning Football to answer the question surrounding Rodgers’ uncertainty. 

“Is he gonna be back? I don’t know,” Queen said. “But hell, I’ll take him. Dude is a great teammate, great quarterback. We all know him, we all love him. He knows how to win. We just have to be better for him.”

Rodgers signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers last June. For most of the season, the move appeared to be a success. Rodgers, who has won the league’s Most Valuable Player award four times, played exceptionally well and posted strong numbers, leading the team to a division title. He registered a 94.8 quarterback rating with 3,222 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Despite winning its division, Pittsburgh got eliminated in the very first game of the playoffs for the third year in a row. Rodgers’ performance was terrible. He completed about half of his passes, failed to score a single touchdown, and committed two costly turnovers. One of those mistakes was an interception returned for a touchdown by the Houston Texans, resulting in a painful 30-6 loss.

Following the loss, Rodgers announced that 2025 would be his final year on the field. However, Queen doesn’t think that Rodgers may be ready to retire just yet.

“He’s older. He’s experienced a lot; he did a lot. He doesn’t really owe the game anything,” Queen said. “But at the same time, I think the competitor in him definitely wants to get back out on the field. Especially how last year ended, I know he just wants to get back from that.”

Meanwhile, the Steelers have hired Mike McCarthy, the former Green Bay Packers coach who won a Super Bowl with Rodgers in 2010. While fans are excited about the duo reuniting and trying their luck for another Super Bowl victory, it all boils down to Rodgers’ decision.

Queen is already rallying the team to step up. He believes the defense, which struggled last season, needs to perform much better to support its veteran quarterback. Queen expressed his respect for McCarthy, saying:

“We all know him, we all love him. He knows how to win. We just gotta be better for him, get the ball back to him more times so we can have more chances to go down there and score.”

Even with all the excitement, the Steelers have to be realistic. The front office must prepare a Plan B in case Rodgers chooses not to come back.

Steelers eye potential QB options to draft as their Plan B

The team hasn’t won a playoff game in years, and finding a new franchise quarterback is the only way to become a Super Bowl contender again.

The first name on its list is Will Howard from Ohio State. The Steelers like his size and experience. 

“He is experienced, he’s tough, he’s played big-time football, and I do think he’ll be a reliable backup,” NFL analyst Chris Simms said. “Maybe there are some things he can expand in his game. Maybe he can be one of those guys that adjusts his throwing motion and find ways to get more RPMs and miles per hour on the ball.”

Even if he earns the starting job immediately, the team will probably bring in more young talent to keep the competition fierce.

The biggest prize could be Alabama’s Ty Simpson, the second-best quarterback in this draft class, trailing only Fernando Mendoza. Drafting him at No. 2 is possible. Because he only started for one year in college, he would benefit from sitting and learning for a season.

Reports by Steelers Depot stated, “We have credible reports that the Steelers sent scouts to at least four of his games, and his stats in those four games were 829 passing yards, 10 TDs, and 0 INT. That probably left a positive impression.”

For a mid-round bargain, Pittsburgh could look at Drew Allar from Penn State. He has the ideal NFL body and a massive arm, but he struggled with consistency in college. He’s a low-risk, high-reward candidate for a team with good coaching.

Finally, there is the underdog, Cole Payton, from North Dakota State. Like other Bison quarterbacks before him, he is a powerful runner and thrower. He is very raw and played against smaller schools, but his physical potential is higher than almost anyone else in the class.

If the Steelers want to play the long game, they need to pick one of these players. Whether they draft a polished starter or a high-upside project, a new era for Pittsburgh has officially begun.