The surprising departure of Mike Tomlin after several years at the helm of the Steel City’s first team was quickly resolved with the arrival of Mike McCarthy. Now, all eyes are on the final decision Aaron Rodgers will make ahead of the upcoming season: will he continue as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB1?
It’s well known that the experienced player rarely rushes his decisions, and he’s even less likely to do so at this stage of his career. However, owner Art Rooney II revealed via the Steelers’ official site that they expect to have an answer in a month or so.
“We don’t know what Aaron’s plans are right now, and that did not weigh heavily in the decision,” Rooney said. “We’ll see where Aaron is, and we’ve left the door open, but obviously we all have to sit down and see if that makes sense.
“So that’ll happen sometime in the next month or so. But the decision was made based on Mike being the coach we want, and it really had very little to do with whether Aaron is going to be back or not.”
Art Rooney II, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A-Rod’s stay in Pittsburgh was positive
In his 2025 campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aaron Rodgers provided much-needed stability and veteran leadership, guiding the team to an AFC North title. Over 16 starts, he threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions, reclaiming his record as the league’s least turnover-prone quarterback.
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While his 44.3 QBR reflected some of the offensive struggles late in the season, his efficiency helped Pittsburgh secure a 10-6 record as a starter and a return to the postseason.
The alternatives for Rodgers
Amid the uncertainty surrounding Rodgers’ decision to stay in the Steel City or not, Art Rooney stated that Mike McCarthy is a coach who is comfortable with his backs, should he choose to use them in that role.
“He likes Will Howard, thinks Will has tremendous upside and is looking forward to working with him,” the owner said regarding McCarthy. “Obviously feels like Mason [Rudolph] can be a contributor. We’ll have to sit down and discuss where Aaron is, if he decides to come back, and whether that all makes sense. I think Mike was very comfortable with the quarterback room and the possibilities with the quarterback room. In particular, the fact we have a young quarterback on the roster in whom he sees some upside.”
