Aaron Rodgers is currently a free agent and pondering his 22nd season in the NFL. Over the past two decades, the 42-year-old has faced very few defenders who successfully intercepted his passes. Guess what? Jamel Dean is one of them, and as of yesterday, the CB has signed a three-year contract with the Steelers. So now, the new Steelers member wants the 42-year-old QB back in the building to relive his past triumph over him.

“I am looking forward to him signing back ‘cause I have that same football. I need him to sign it,” Dean said. “So, I’ve been waiting like five years just to be able to ask him like, ‘hey, you remember this ball, pick-six right?’ I’ve been meaning for you to sign this ball for so many years, and I think this is a good time to do it now.”

In Week 6 of the 2020 NFL season, then-Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Dean picked off Aaron Rodgers in the second quarter and returned it for a score. That was Rodgers’ third career pick-six, and Dean held onto that ball ever since. Rodgers went on to throw three more pick-sixes during his career, and the last one was pretty brutal. It was during the AFC Wild Card Round against the Houston Texans on January 12, 2026. 

Rodgers threw a 51-yard pick-six to Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock during the 30-6 loss. Many analysts believe that it was Rodgers’ final career pass. But will he really hang up his cleats after that performance? For now, nothing is confirmed. However, Rodgers might consider Jamel Dean’s request. Dean entered Pittsburgh on a $36.75 million deal and expressed a desire to play alongside the legendary quarterback. What’s more, it’s not the first time someone has made a personal keepsake request of Rodgers since he arrived in Pittsburgh.

Last October, ahead of Pittsburgh’s matchup with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers’ former mentee Jordan Love publicly floated a jersey swap. The two even shared a postgame conversation, but the exchange didn’t happen on the spot.

“Just said good game, keep going for the rest of the season,” Love said at the time. “Want him to stay healthy. I got a lot of love for him. It was very fun to go against him and tell him that I needed that jersey. We’re gonna exchange those at a later time.”

After the Steelers lost, 35-25, Rodgers followed through on that promise as both Love and Rodgers sent their jerseys to each other’s locker rooms. Now Jamel Dean is banking on similar goodwill, except his request involves five years of patience and a game ball, not just a jersey. But for any of it to happen, Rodgers first has to come back to Steel City.

Is Aaron Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh in 2026?

For all the uncertainty around Rodgers, beat reporter Ray Fittipaldo has suggested that the Steelers may already have quiet assurances behind closed doors.

“I would not be surprised at all if the Steelers had a pretty good, just like behind closed doors, like a tight little circle between Aaron and Mike [McCarthy], maybe Aaron and Omar [Khan] that, everything is going to work out,” Fittipaldo told 93.7 The Fan. “Just cannot imagine guys that the Steelers would go into free agency and not even really consider a quarterback. I think they know what’s going to happen. Aaron’s going to come back, maybe next week, maybe next month.”

This does fit the bill for last year’s blueprint. Former head coach Mike Tomlin appeared confident in his talks with A-Rod all offseason and fielded media questions accordingly. While general manager Omar Khan has already made it clear this time, they will reach a decision sooner than last season. But so far, it feels like the same timeline. What’s more, while Khan professed patience, Rodgers himself made it clear that no active contract discussions have taken place between him and the front office.

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“I’ve talked to Mike, I’ve talked to Omar. There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show recently. “There’s no contract offer or anything. So there’s nothing I’m having to debate between. I’m a free agent. Again, I’m enjoying my time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason. I think there are conversations to be had down the line. But right now … there haven’t been any progressive conversations.”

At first, NFL insiders had predicted A-Rod would show up in Steel City before the new league year began on March 11. Now, Ian Rapoport expects Rodgers to inform the Steelers about his decision before the 2026 NFL Draft. So a late-March or an early-April arrival could still be in the cards. Jamel Dean’s ball is waiting for one signature. Whether Aaron Rodgers returns to deliver it, and anchor Pittsburgh’s offense for another season, may hinge on a deadline only he controls.