You know how last season, despite him testing their patience, the Pittsburgh Steelers made moves that would hint at Aaron Rodgers’ arrival? This year, while they are still awaiting his decision, things are looking quite different. Yes, they brought in his former coach, Mike McCarthy, as their head coach, but the two ended things on a sour note in Green Bay. And putting a UFA tender on him only signaled that the Steelers are looking at a new gain, even if they lose him to another team.

While everyone is still wondering what’s next, an old connection puts Rodgers on the flight to Arizona. Listening to the murmurs, Arizona Cardinals’ wide receiver Kendrick Bourne didn’t waste a second to holla at the veteran quarterback.

“@AaronRodgers12 Come on we waiting on you 👀😁,” Bourne wrote on his official X handle.

It all started with the Cardinals’ February. They brought in Nathaniel Hackett as their new offensive coordinator. Connect the dots, and you trace Hackett to Rodgers in Green Bay and then in New York. The two have worked together since 2019, and Rodgers won two of his MVPs under his tutelage. But that’s not just it. When things got tough with the Jets, Rodgers stood behind Hackett.

“You should trust me and I trust Nathaniel,” Rodgers said during a radio interview in May 2024. “So, to me, that’s end of story. There’s been a lot of BS that’s been said out there. There’s a lot of things that have gone on the last couple years that he’s dealt with that I think he’s handled very professionally. And at the end of the day, I think you gotta trust his and my working relationship and the conversations that we have.”

What’s more interesting is that Rodgers was responsible for bringing his OC to the Jets because he didn’t get to call plays under Matt LaFleur. Fast forward to now, Hackett might ask to return the favor. Already, many are putting two and two together.

CBS Sports’ John Breech first pointed to a potential reunion between the veteran quarterback and Hackett.

“At this point, their QB situation is still up in the air. Going into April, Jacoby Brissett appeared to have the inside track, but he’s skipping the team’s voluntary workouts because he wants to be paid like a starter. Instead of giving Brissett more money, the Cardinals could simply call Rodgers and offer that money to him,” Breech wrote.

The context of their friendship helps explain why the link isn’t coming out of nowhere. As that gained traction, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio weighed in as well.

“Nathaniel Hackett, his former offensive coordinator with the Packers and the Jets, has that same role in Arizona now,” Florio wrote. “And Mike LaFleur, brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur (with whom Rodgers won a pair of NFL MVP awards), is the Cardinals’ head coach. Last year, Mike LaFleur was the Rams’ offensive coordinator. They viewed Rodgers as a potential Plan B, if Matthew Stafford had been traded to the Giants or the Raiders.”

As things stand, the Cardinals are carrying multiple journeyman quarterbacks into the 2026 season in Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew, with Carson Beck joining the quarterback room as a third-round rookie from the 2026 NFL draft class. The idea of Rodgers in Arizona is interesting, but for now, it remains early-stage speculation. But there’s more to the Cardinals that could sweeten the deal for Rodgers.

How the Cardinals are attractive to Rodgers and how they are not

Apart from Hackett and Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals’ presence in the NFC could lure the veteran QB. He always said he wanted to retire as a Packer. While he may not be with them even this season, he will at least be in the same conference. Then there is the better roster that would upgrade Rodgers’ game from the get-go.

Arizona’s offensive weapons include a potential-packed running back, rookie Jeremiyah Love, and All-Pro tight end Trey McBride. Their receiving corps is also respectable, with the duo of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. In Pittsburgh, the continuous lack of targets didn’t help Rodgers improve, but with the coach he knows and a team with potential, he can certainly kick that final gear.

But now let’s talk about reality.

After a handful of unsuccessful seasons with the Jets, Rodgers finally found his groove, to whatever extent, in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are the least competitive team in the very competitive NFC West. Now they will certainly sign a quarterback, Rodgers or not. But their chances of making it to the playoffs are bleak, something the veteran might not want in what could be his final season in the NFL.

Whether Rodgers even considers the move and answers Bourne’s call is still unclear. What is clear, though, is that the Steelers are waiting, and that patience may not last forever.

Steelers’ patience with Aaron Rodgers is wearing thin

As the rookie minicamp unfolded this weekend, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported that the Steelers’ patience with Aaron Rodgers may be wearing thin. In his report, Dulac wrote:

“The Steelers have displayed saint-like patience waiting for Aaron Rodgers to say he is coming back for the 2026 season, even though a large portion of their fan base doesn’t agree with their approach. After watching two of their “expected’ deadlines come and go — and insisting this isn’t the same situation as last year — the Steelers might not be so understanding if this drags on for two more weeks.”

Rodgers followed a similar timeline last year as well, with the Steelers waiting until June before he signed a one-year deal. So they know how this usually plays out, and for the most part, they’ve been willing to go along with it. The difference this time is the added context around the situation.

To put it simply, Omar Khan insisted this offseason wouldn’t mirror last year, when Rodgers didn’t sign until June. Yet here we are. Fast forward to the annual meetings, and Art Rooney II said he expected a decision from Rodgers before the draft, but that never happened.

With OTAs up next, the Steelers have placed an unrestricted free agent tender on the 42-year-old as a procedural move in case he signs elsewhere. At the same time, the Cardinals have emerged as a potential suitor, and Dulac suggests OTAs could now act as the next real checkpoint.

“If Rodgers hasn’t given them a decision by the start of organized team activities on May 18 — their latest deadline — their patience will start to turn into frustration, and maybe something more,” Dulac wrote.

Last season, Rodgers started 16 games for the Steelers, going 10-6 while completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, helping Pittsburgh win the AFC North and reach the playoffs. After a wildcard exit, the Steelers are now waiting to see if Rodgers runs it back for one more year.