NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers last season. At 42, he hasn’t ruled out a return in 2026, but the team is waiting to see what comes next.
The NFL’s new league year started last week and the draft is next month. As the Steelers continue through the offseason, at least one former standout made it clear that Rodgers’ time in Pittsburgh must be over.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson urged his former team to simply move on from Rodgers. “Is he going to play? Look, I’m getting a little tired of it,” Woodson said on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) passes during 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 going to play, say he wants to play, he’ll come back. And the team’s not going to wait for Aaron Rodgers. They’re going to move forward.”
While Woodson’s frustration seems to be growing, the Steelers still seem willing to wait. Rodgers recently said he is not aware of any “deadline” but has maintained his offseason training routine.
NFL FREE AGENT QUARTERBACKS: THE TOP 10 QBS AVAILABLE THIS OFF SEASON
Rodgers started 16 games last season and threw 24 touchdowns. He helped the Steelers end a five-season AFC North division title drought. But Pittsburgh ultimately couldn’t break its playoff shutout streak and lost to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Rod Woodson (26) watches before a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Three Rivers Stadium on August 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 about these ex-Green Bay Packers quarterbacks that they have to be talked about all the time?” Woodson added. “Because Brett Favre was like that for years. Remember how we used 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 December 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 rise, with former star Rod Woodson claiming the team missed a chance to secure a long-term answer in last year’s draft.
“They should have taken Jaxson Dart (in the 2025 NFL Draft),” Woodson said. “He fell for them. It was the best opportunity for them to take that quarterback that has that swag, kind of fits that Steeler mold.”
The Steelers formally introduced Mike McCarthy in January, ushering in 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 has been in contact with his former quarterback this offseason, adding earlier this year that he saw Rodgers as a “huge asset” to the team and suggested the franchise would welcome him.
