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Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers last offseason. At 42, he has not ruled out a 2026 return, but the team is waiting to see what comes next.
The NFL’s new league year kicked off last week and the draft is next month. As the Steelers continue through the offseason, at least one former standout made it clear Rodgers’ time in Pittsburgh should be over.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson urged his former team to simply move on from Rodgers. “Is he gonna play? Listen, I get kinda tired of it,” Woodson said on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) passes in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh on Oct. 12, 2025. (Matt Freed/AP Photo)
“Listen, if he’s gonna play, say he’s gonna play, he’s gonna come back. And the team shouldn’t wait for Aaron Rodgers. They need to move forward.”
While Woodson’s frustration appears to be growing, the Steelers still appear willing to wait. Rodgers recently said he is not aware of any “deadline” but has maintained his offseason training routine.
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Rodgers started in 16 games last season, throwing 24 touchdowns. He helped the Steelers end a five-season AFC North division title drought. But Pittsburgh ultimately could not break its playoff windless streak, losing to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson (26) looks on before a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Three Rivers Stadium on Aug. 24, 1995, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Rodgers spent the first 18 seasons of his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. He had a two-year stint with the New York Jets before signing with the Steelers.
“What is it with these ex-Green Bay Packers quarterbacks that they have to be talked about all the time?” Woodson added. “‘Cause Brett Favre was that way for years. Remember how we used to have to talk about Brett Favre, talk about Brett Favre.”
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers listens to a question during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Former Ohio State standout Will Howard and NFL veteran Mason Rudolph are set to return to the Steelers in 2026. Concerns about the Steelers’ quarterback room continue to mount, with former star Rod Woodson arguing the team missed a chance to secure a long-term answer in last year’s draft.
“They should’ve taken Jaxson Dart (in the 2025 NFL Draft),” Woodson said. “He fell to them. It was the best opportunity for them to take that quarterback who has that swag, kinda fit into that Steeler mold.”
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The Steelers formally introduced Mike McCarthy in January, kicking off a new era. McCarthy replaces Mike Tomlin, who stepped down after 19 seasons as the Steelers’ head coach.
McCarthy coached Rodgers in Green Bay. The new Steelers coach said he’s been in contact with his former quarterback this offseason, adding earlier this year he viewed Rodgers as a “great asset” to the team and suggested the franchise would welcome his return.
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