Aaron Rodgers, NFL Draft Or Free Agency? Steelers Have Obvious Answer For 2026 QB Question

Mere moments after he’d completed one of the easiest touchdown passes of his career, which placed the Steelers within seconds of attaining the most important goal of the 2025 season, the ignominious conclusion to all of it was evident in Aaron Rodgers’ expression.

It wasn’t anguish we saw. It was resignation. Maybe even retirement.

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He had thrown for 294 yards in Week 18 against the Ravens. He brought the Steelers back from a halftime deficit and helped them build a three-point advantage through three periods, then carried them back to the lead again in the final quarter, punctuated by his 26-yard toss to Calvin Austin with 55 seconds on the clock.

But a missed extra point, some blown kickoff coverage and a failed attempt to bat down Baltimore’s last effort at keeping its season alive put the Ravens in range to kick the game-winning field goal.

We know how that turned out. And while the Steelers’ 26-24 victory conveyed an AFC North championship and wild-card weekend home playoff game, it also might have led to Rodgers’ career being extended by more than (at least) one game.

Had the Steelers failed to reach the playoffs, all that had been invested into this team and this challenge, by Rodgers himself and the broader organization, would have been a waste. He was supposed to be the answer. There were times that seemed fantastic, but he was the answer. He was fantastic in another sense of the word.

It may seem premature to be wondering what Rodgers’ future beyond this season will be, but we’re already somewhat late to the party. During the NBC broadcast last weekend, Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth discussed it multiple times, and reporter Melissa Stark asked Rodgers whether the 2025 season — yes, it’s now 2026 — would mark the last time we see him in an NFL uniform.

They talked about it often enough it began to feel as if they were granted some insight — perhaps not by Rodgers, but by someone else in conversation during pregame preparation — into the possibility he would move on to “his life’s work” as the great Chuck Noll used to say.

That phrase may not connect with today’s quarterbacks because the best of them make so much money and play so long they no longer need to work for anything beyond keeping themselves occupied.

Rodgers could still have a job to do in Pittsburgh in the summer, fall and winter of 2026. Even if the team is able to position itself in the draft to secure the quarterback who can propel the franchise into the future, it’s unlikely the Steelers would prefer him to be a Week 1 starter mentored by a career backup (Mason Rudolph) and a de facto rookie (Will Howard).

Those who are around the team regularly have praised Rodgers for his connection to his Steelers teammates, coaching staff and the organization. There were obvious times when his inevitable physical decline limited what he was capable of producing for the team, but he’s still accurate with his throws and brilliant with his understanding of the game.

The only frustration with this whole enterprise may have been that he deferred as often as he did to the preferences of the offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, and used his knowledge primarily to maximize the options presented by the designed plays.

His acceptance of that hierarchy has presented a useful example for Howard, should he one day be in position to compete for the starting job, and would do still more for a draft pick with a more prestigious pedigree. Rodgers was drafted back in 2005 to become the Packers’ quarterback even if it meant waiting a few years for Brett Favre to age out of the position. Rodgers spent time in the exact position where that possible prodigy will reside.

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The Steelers already made the decision that free agency would not provide a long-term answer, passing on Sam Darnold during the most recent offseason. There is no proven starter who would merit a long-term contract in this year’s group, and really none after 2026 is concluded, either.

It’ll have to be the draft, and the team is holding several selections to help both facilitate whatever deal is necessary to advance in the order and provide an even more worthy roster for the next QB to command.

The offensive line is ascending, the defensive line no longer is unsound and prominent veterans like T.J. Watt and DK Metcalf have multiple years left on their deals. There should be enough cap space to address whichever glaring weakness (the safety position, wide receiver depth) the Steelers prefer not to leave to the draft. They’ll want to continue winning until that player is prepared to lead, and Rodgers appears to provide the best option to facilitate this.

So much changed in the AFC North as Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal attempt flew wildly to the right. Aaron Rodgers did not smile as that errant kick landed. He wore the expression of someone who suddenly had more work to do — and maybe a lot more.