Mike McCarthy made a special appearance on The Pat McAfee Show to talk about his new chapter as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. One of the questions was whether he has already spoken with Aaron Rodgers about a possible return with the team for the 2026 season.
“Yes. I’ve spoken to Aaron a number of times, but, I think just like anybody that played the game a long time, particularly at this point of his career, it’s important to get away. So, that’s a normal process. I think it’s important for all these players to decompress and step away from the season. That’s really the mindset that he’s in and that’s really about as far as our conversations have gone as far as if he’s coming back or not coming back.”
McCarthy and Rodgers won a Super Bowl together with the Green Bay Packers, but that was a long time ago, back in the 2010 season. Now, the circumstances are very different. Aaron is 42 years old, and the Steelers need to find who will be their franchise quarterback of the future.
Is Aaron Rodgers retiring in 2026?
Aaron Rodgers has not yet confirmed whether he will retire in 2026. The only thing he has said is that he will take time to think about his decision and that it is most likely he will become a free agent before signing any extension with the Steelers.
McCarthy said that the best thing is to give the veteran time to analyze his personal situation, and that the same applies to the rest of the players. It is still too early to make drastic decisions.
“I think it’s important for him to do the things that he normally does just to step away and to make those decisions. You’re talking about every player on the roster. We’re talking about these players a number of times a day. Make sure that I get familiar with them. We’re just continuing to have conversations about the direction we want to go.”