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The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers’ 2026 NFL season decision – will he play or does retirement finally claim the four-time MVP?
The Steelers and head coach Mike McCarthy, his old manager from their time with the Green Bay Packers, continue to wait patiently, and so is one of the newest in the building: wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
“I hope he’s close,” Pittman told Pakinomist Digital during a recent interview ahead of his time at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh with Toyota.
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Newest Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Michael Pittman Jr. hopes Aaron Rodgers is “close” to making his decision on whether or not to play in 2026. (Getty Images)
Pittman arrived in Pittsburgh earlier this offseason after the Indianapolis Colts reached a trade with the Steelers to send the seven-year receiver east. As he continues to acclimate, Pittman is already hearing the question: Will Rodgers return?
“I don’t know anything – people think we know something. Why would Aaron tell me anything?” he said laughing.
Pittman said he’s not “concerned about it too much” from a personal perspective, as his time in Indianapolis was filled with quarterback turnover. Throughout his tenure with the Colts, Pittman played for 10 different starting quarterbacks, including Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Daniel Jones this past season.
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It even got so bad in 2025 after Jones’ injury that he was reunited with Rivers, who was signed in hopes he could help save the season.
Aaron Rodgers (8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium on January 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
But while some of those guys are likely headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, there’s no doubting Rodgers’ Canton hopes and what he brings to a team even as he turns 43 in December.
“Obviously, Aaron’s a great player – look at everything he’s done,” Pittman added. “We would love to have him back. At the end of the day, it’s up to him to decide.”
Rodgers may not be at the start of the Steelers’ voluntary offseason program, but he is working to stay in shape in preparation for the new season if he decides to return. But there has been radio silence between the two sides, according to the NFL Network, and there is no expectation to hear from him until the first round of the draft begins Thursday night.
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While Pittman, the Steelers and the rest of the NFL wait to hear from Rodgers, Will Howard, the team’s sixth-round pick in last year’s draft, is the projected starting quarterback for McCarthy’s team heading into voluntary workouts.
In the meantime, Pittman will continue to enjoy the sports-mad city he now calls home.
“Being in Pittsburgh, just the vibe of driving around, everybody’s wearing some sport. It’s either Steelers, Pirates or Penguins,” Pittman explained. “Someone’s wearing black and gold, which I think is great. They love their football there. I mean, Indy loves football, too. I’m not taking anything away from Indy fans, but it’s just Pittsburgh — everybody knows Pittsburgh for being Pittsburgh. The Steelers, the fans. The city is on these rivers, it’s something that’s crazy, and the scene is right there. Excited to be there and be able to play for them.”
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) watches during the NFL football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 2, 2025 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire)
INFLUENTIAL LOCAL FLAG FOOTBALL WITH TOYOTA
Pittman is always looking to make an impact in his community, especially being in a new city. Following his role as a coach during Toyota’s Glow Up Classic during Super Bowl week in San Francisco, Pittman is back with the automaker for a special NFL Draft flag football training camp with Pittsburgh high school girls flag players on the eve of draft night.
Pittman, along with some NFL Draft prospects and members of the US Women’s National Flag Football team, will don his coaching hat to help coordinate practices while providing instruction and mentorship to the participating girls.
And even better, select attendees will be selected to walk the NFL Draft Red Carpet as they get to experience and watch some of the best young players in football fulfill their dream, like Pittman, of hearing their names called in the NFL Draft.
Youth players participate in the Toyota Glow-Up Classic, a glow-in-the-dark football exhibition, at the Super Bowl Experience in San Francisco on February 4, 2026. Toyota provides a grant to each youth player for their flag football future. (Jeff Lewis/AP Content Services for Toyota Motor North America)
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With new national data from Campus Multimedia and YouGov finding that 70% of teenagers (12-17) want brands that support their school community, this is just another example of how Toyota is making an impact in communities across the country. As an official partner of NFL FLAG league play, which has helped grow the game by reaching over 300,000 youth players nationwide with over $3 million in support, Toyota also purchases all NFL FLAG fall registration kits for current players in the Pittsburgh Flag Football League (PFFL) coed youth and high school girls leagues.
“Our main message for these girls is to capture their spotlight, and I just know this is everything for them,” Pittman said. “We’re just there to pump them up and yet we can fight for them and just lift them up and tell them we’re here to support girls flag and we want to make it a famous sport.”
