Aaron Rodgers’ situation is becoming a major time-consuming chaos for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has kept its door open for the 42-year-old after he led the Steelers to win the AFC North in 2025. While the future Hall of Famer has shown interest in playing again, a significant return to Pittsburgh is still not confirmed. Many believe this uncertainty could have been avoided if the Steelers had drafted a young quarterback, Jaxson Dart, last year to learn behind Rodgers. 

Pro Football Hall of Famer Rod Woodson recently highlighted this missed opportunity on The Rich Eisen Show yesterday, suggesting that the team should have selected Jaxson Dart to secure their future. 

“They should have taken Jaxson Dart,” he said. “He fell to him. It was the best opportunity for them to take a quarterback who has that swag that kind of fits into that Steeler mold and that Steeler culture and have that standard, and they took the defensive end, or defensive tackle. So now, and now what are they looking for? They’re looking for the quarterback of the future steel.”

The decision to pass on a quarterback has had a significant ripple effect across the league. Last year, several analysts thought that the Steelers would prioritize their need for the future star QB. Thus, for the longest time, former Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart was widely projected to be selected by the Steelers with their No. 21 pick.  But Aaron Rodgers’ pre-draft visit to the Steelers facility gave immense confidence to former head coach Mike Tomlin about landing the 42-year-old. 

“You know, this dude’s been doing it 21 years,” Tomlin said on The Pivot Podcast. “Man, four-time MVP, all of that stuff. I just wanted to know why. Why does the fire still burn? What is his agenda? Those are some of the conversations that we had in the spring, and I just got really comfortable with his ‘why.'” 

The Steelers carried that hope and entered the 2025 draft weekend alongside projected starter Mason Rudolph. Since they already moved on from Dart, the team used their first round pick to look for a defensive line and selected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with that pick. The team waited until the sixth round to draft a quarterback. They selected Will Howard from Ohio State at pick No. 185.

It was the New York Giants who eventually traded up to select Dart at No. 25 overall. He went on to have a historic rookie season, starting for the Giants in week 4 after veteran QB Russell Wilson disappointed with a 0-3 start. With the help of his dual-threat ability, Dart became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to record 2,000+ passing yards (2272), 450+ rushing yards (487), 15 passing TDs, 9 rushing TDs, and just 5 interceptions.

Even though the New York Giants finished a tough season with only four wins and 13 losses, they found a real star in Jaxson Dart, who posted a career-high 110.2 passer rating in a Week 18 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Yes, missing out on him was a big blunder on the Steelers’ part. The NFL gurus noted that his passing ability would have meshed perfectly with the Steelers’ receivers. 

“With receivers DK Metcalf and George Pickens, Pittsburgh should pursue a young QB who can consistently deliver the ball downfield,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid wrote. “Dart’s 80 completions on throws of 20-plus yards were the second most in the FBS over the past three seasons. Learning behind Rodgers would be the ideal outcome for Dart, since he needs time to transition to the NFL from Lane Kiffin’s QB-friendly system.”

Rodgers did his part in leading the Steelers to a 10-7 record. But after Mike Tomlin stepped down from the helm, the team is going through some major changes under new HC Mike McCarthy. No clarity in the QB position makes it very difficult for the coaching staff to construct a new offensive plan ahead of the 2026 season. Contrary to this, Rodgers has even stated that he is in touch with McCarthy and GM Omar Khan.

But as of now, the team hasn’t proposed a contract in front of him. Because of this, Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk suggests that the team should stop waiting and look in a different direction this offseason. And especially since Rodgers will be turning 43 this December.

“I don’t understand it,” Florida said. “It seems to be beneath the Steelers to be hanging on for a guy who no one else wants. Doesn’t that tell you something? Nobody else wanted him last year. Nobody else wants him this year.” 

Reports also link the 42-year-old to the Arizona Cardinals as another possible landing spot apart from the Steelers. If he doesn’t join them, he will have to retire. So rather than the team waiting on Rodgers, it should be Rodgers who makes a firm stance to the team on where his heart and preference lie.

Aaron Rodgers’ attention-seeking behaviour gets called out

It isn’t that Aaron Rodgers hasn’t chosen for the 2026 season; it’s that he’s taking his time, as usual. According to Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, the quarterback and the Pittsburgh Steelers may have already discussed the details. However, Rodgers is notorious for dragging out his announcements, whether he’s in Pittsburgh, New York, or Green Bay. While he is “ancient” by football standards, Rodgers seems to enjoy the mystery of whether he will play or retire.

In reality, he might just want to feel like the team truly needs him. But Woodson doesn’t seem to be a fan of the waiting game.

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“If he’s going to play, say he’s going to play, he’s going to come back. He shouldn’t—and the team shouldn’t—wait for Aaron Rodgers. They need to move forward.” Woodson said in the same conversation before the topic of Dart surfaced.

To the team’s credit, the Steelers have shown Rodgers exactly how much they want him by staying quiet during NFL free agency. General Manager Omar Khan could have signed several other quarterbacks to replace Rodgers, who is currently a free agent. Instead, the team is choosing to wait. However, a new deadline has emerged. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport:

“My understanding was that Aaron Rodgers had planned to inform these Steelers of his decision at some point before the draft, with plenty of time. I would say likely end of this month.”

The delay on Rodgers’ part puts the Steelers in a tough spot right now. Every day Aaron Rodgers waits to make a decision, the team loses ground. If he calls it quits, they need to jump into the market immediately to find a new leader before all the good options are signed by other teams.