Acme Packing Company
The will-he, won’t-he saga is over for at least one more year.
The speculation and debate can finally come to an end: yes, Aaron Rodgers is coming back for another season in the NFL, and yes, he will be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On Thursday afternoon, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network first broke the news that Rodgers will sign a one-year deal with the Steelers in the coming days. Pelissero says that Rodgers plans to head to Pittsburgh on Friday and put pen to paper in time for the Steelers’ veteran minicamp scheduled for next week.
The news should come as little surprise, as the Steelers reportedly had been in discussions with Rodgers throughout much of the offseason. The team allowed both quarterbacks who started for them in 2024, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, to leave in free agency, while signing only former backup Mason Rudolph. Then in the 2025 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh elected to not draft a quarterback in the first five rounds, waiting until round six to add Ohio State’s Will Howard with the 185th overall pick.
Rodgers joins a Steelers team that acquired a new number one receiver, D.K. Metcalf, this offseason in a trade from the Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh dealt its previous top wideout to Dallas, trading George Pickens to the Cowboys in early May. Pittsburgh’s other likely contributors at the wide receiver position include Calvin Austin, Robert Woods, Roman Wilson, and Ben Skowronek, though they do have an intriguing tight end tandem in Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.
Rodgers’ new team has a date with the Green Bay Packers on their schedule, and the NFL schedule-makers were prepared for this possibility. The league set the Packers-Steelers contest for Sunday Night Football in week 8, ensuring an opportunity for a massive nationwide audience. If Rodgers plays in that game, it will be his first opportunity to play against the Packers in his career, as the New York Jets did not face Green Bay in either of the past two seasons.
Playing in Pittsburgh may offer Rodgers a chance to play with the most complete defense he has had in years, however. Last season saw the Jets allow the third-fewest yards per game in the NFL, but they finished just 20th in points allowed. Meanwhile, the Steelers were 8th in points, helped significantly by a first-place ranking in total turnovers.
Circle October 26th on your calendars, NFL fans.
