Steelers Now
With Mike Tomlin stepping down as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network expects quarterback Aaron Rodgers to move on to a new team or retire. Tomlin was basically the sole reason why Rodgers came to Pittsburgh.
“It’s hard to speak for Aaron Rodgers, he certainly does plenty of speaking for himself. But with Mike Tomlin now out with the Steelers, it’s really hard to imagine that would be good news for Aaron Rodgers’ return (to Pittsburgh),” Rapoport said. “Obviously when you have a new head coach and a full reset for an organization like the Steelers have never had, it’d make sense to start over in all the places. I’d say, for me, to my knowledge, this decreases the chances that Aaron Rodgers would be back in Pittsburgh.
“The opportunity to run it back with Mike Tomlin would’ve made sense. But to come back with a new coach and a new system, all that, unless … it’s Arthur Smith, the offensive coordinator, would certainly (create) a possibility. Unless it is that, it’s hard to image Aaron Rodgers coming back.”
From our breaking news segment: With Mike Tomlin stepping away from the #Steelers, it makes it less likely that Aaron Rodgers will be back. pic.twitter.com/JN0sKFODVM
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2026
Rodgers did not shed much light when asked if he’ll return to Steelers in 2026 after Monday night’s season-ending loss to the Houston Texans.
“No, I mean, I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said when asked if Monday night’s loss would affect his decision on next year. “Disappointed obviously. Such a fun year. A lot of adversity but a lot of fun. Been a great year overall in my life in the last year, and this is a really good part of that, coming here and being a part of this team. So, it’s disappointing to be sitting here with the season over.”
Rodgers’ timetable on decision to inform the Steelers of his plans are uncertain.
“Just get away and then kind of have the right conversations,” he said.
Rodgers said last week that he believes he’ll have options if he chooses to play again in 2026.
“Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent,” said Rodgers, who signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh in June. “So that’ll give me a lot of options if I still want to play. (Maybe) not a lot options, but there’ll be options, I would think. Maybe one or two.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: How Does Mike Tomlin’s Departure Impact Aaron Rodgers?
