The Pittsburgh Steelers may have a new coach in Mike McCarthy, but they’re trapped in an old dilemma: waiting on Aaron Rodgers. As the team waits for his decision, a recent update suggests they may need to start writing in ink—without him. ESPN’s Adam Schefter appeared on a recent edition of The Pat McAfee Show and shed light on the situation.

“I don’t think there’s a deadline, but I do think the Steelers would like to know before the draft,” he said. “I think if Aaron just dragged this into May or June, he could do that.”

Schefter’s comments hint that Rodgers could wait out Draft Day, which is disappointing. If that happens and the veteran QB chooses to retire or join another team, the Steelers will lose their chance of drafting a franchise QB.

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Rodgers is reportedly weighing his retirement options and negotiating a raise from his previous $13.95 million deal. Since he is the only clear-cut starter on the team, he holds the power to leverage.

Rodgers last suited up for the Steelers on January 13, 2026, when his team lost to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round. He only played a full season with the team in 2025, logging 3,332 passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns in 16 regular-season games.

Since then, the quarterback has been away from the public eye. But in early March, he appeared on Pat McAfee’s show and gave a brief update about his situation with the Steelers, just before he officially hit the free agency market.

“I think there’s conversations to be had down the line, but there haven’t been any progressive conversations,” said Rodgers. “I think the guys had a positive response to our time together. But again, there haven’t been any deadlines set on me.”

Although the current Steelers HC said he has been in touch with Rodgers, there is no official update on his future. The potential reunion is more than just speculation. At the NFL Annual League Meeting, Steelers President Art Rooney II confirmed that McCarthy—who coached Rodgers for 13 seasons in Green Bay—has been in continuous contact with the quarterback.

“I think a decision is coming soon,” said Rooney at the NFL Annual League Meeting. I would say by the draft, I would expect an answer.”

As the franchise waits for an answer, it still has a quarterback option in its 2025 pick, Will Howard.

Mike McCarthy praises backup QB Will Howard

Rogers’ predicament mirrors the Brett Favre “saga” with the Green Bay Packers, which ultimately forced them to commit to a young Rodgers. Favre had announced his retirement in 2008, but chose to return later. However, the team’s management had already moved on from him and picked Rodgers. This ultimately led to a standoff, where Favre demanded a release, but the Packers instead traded him to the New York Jets.

The Steelers’ quarterback options from free agency have run out. With Kirk Cousins signing for the Las Vegas Raiders, there is no other first-rate signal caller other than Rodgers. This leaves McCarthy with Will Howard.

With Rodgers at the helm, Howard did not make the starting squad. In addition, he was injured for the majority of the last season. However, the coach has high expectations of him for the 2026 season.

“I valued him higher than that based off Kansas State. And man, I thought he jumped out of the TV set during the college playoffs,” said McCarthy about Howard recently at the NFL Annual League Meeting. “What not is there to like about the guy? So, I think he’s definitely a real prospect as a starting quarterback.”

McCarthy’s faith in Howard comes from his college stats. He amassed 9,796 passing yards over five seasons with Kansas State and Ohio State, capped by a standout 2024 campaign, where he threw for 4,010 yards with a 73% completion rate. If Howard replicates his college football form working under McCarthy, he could be a starting QB and a reliable weapon for the Steelers’ offense.

So, will the Steelers retain Rodgers or move on from him to make way for the 24-year-old? Only time will tell.