In a perfect world, Aaron Rodgers would have already made his decision. The Pittsburgh Steelers would have their quarterback and their offseason plan locked in. But it seems like it’s a Rodgers world, and he is someone always operating on his own timeline. He made the Steelers wait till June 6 last year while most top free agents were already settled in. Given the silence so far, the story seemed to be playing the same script. Because every expected timeline where most thought “this is it” has come and gone.

When Pittsburgh made its coaching move and brought in Mike McCarthy, with whom Aaron Rodgers played under for 13 seasons, most expected a tentative signing would follow. Rodgers, after all, won two MVP awards and a Super Bowl title in Green Bay under him. But it didn’t. However, the Steelers didn’t stop.

The next thing they did was bring in new talent, Michael Pittman Jr. They were, of course, hoping this would tip the scales. But still nothing. Now, though, there is an update, and it’s coming from the top.

I still expect that,” Rooney told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac at the recent annual NFL meeting. “I expect we’ll get an answer before the draft. When I talked to him, and Omar [Khan] talked to him, he told us he wasn’t going to take as long this year as he did last year [to make a decision]. “I’m not 100 percent sure what that means, but I expect something before the draft.”

Now Rooney is not someone who simply throws out timelines, specifically not publicly, so this is huge. Moreover, Pittsburgh needed this. They have been aggressive with their push for Rodgers, so much so that they haven’t even pursued other quarterbacks strongly. They have kept options like Will Howard and Mason Rudolph in place, but that is a calculated risk. This waiting game is also so tense, because a lot of the conversation hung around the fact that Rodger’s indecisiveness may be less about money and more about simply hanging up his cleats.

The 42-year-old has to decide whether he can still play in the NFL for another year as one of the oldest QBs in the league. But there are reasons why Rodgers should not think about his retirement, maybe not just yet.

This is because he demonstrated last season that he can still sling. Rodgers produced 3,322 yards, 24 TDs, and seven INTs in the 2025 season as he helped the Steelers achieve a 10-7 record and the AFC North title. But the season turned out to be another failure of Rodgers in the Super Bowl.

In their Wild Card Round game, the Steelers suffered a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans, and Rodgers struggled to finish that game with just 146 yards and one interception while taking four sacks. Still, after wrapping up the past season, Rodgers suggested that he felt more refreshed than he did in previous years. That comment hinted that Rodgers might lean toward playing again, but nothing is guaranteed.

If Rodgers walks away, the Steelers could explore the 2026 NFL Draft, where QB prospects such as Ty Simpson might interest them. But the draft may not be their only path, as the Steelers have also been linked to veteran QB Kirk Cousins.

Will Aaron Rodgers’ decision influence the Steelers to acquire Cousins?

While Art Rooney’s expectation of a pre-draft answer from Aaron Rodgers is encouraging, it also highlights a missed opportunity for the Steelers earlier in free agency. The Steelers waited for Rodgers, and that strategy limited their ability to pursue other quarterbacks on the market. But recently, NFL insider Tom Pelissero suggested that Kirk Cousins could still emerge as a legitimate option for the team if Rodgers decides not to return to Pittsburgh.

“Kirk Cousins is the one, and I know they called on him last year, and the Falcons at the time didn’t want to trade him,” Pelissero revealed recently on the Rich Eisen Show. “But now Kirk Cousins is free. Cousins potentially could be an option if they pivot away from Aaron Rodgers, which hasn’t happened yet.”

Kirk Cousins became available as a free agent earlier this month when the Atlanta Falcons released him after a brief two-year stint with the team. Back in 2024, the Falcons signed Cousins to a massive $180 million contract, and he was expected to become a starter for the team. But that same year, the Falcons blindsided him by drafting QB Michael Penix Jr. 

Cousins eventually lost the starting job in 2024, leaving him searching for another opportunity and being involved in many trade rumors. But last season, in Week 11, while Penix got injured, Cousins stepped back into the starting role for the final stretch of the season. Then, in ten games, Cousins recorded 1,721 yards, 10 TDs, and five INTs while leading the Falcons to a four-game winning streak. 

But even as Cousins finished the 2025 season with a 5-3 record as a starter, the Falcons decided to move on from him. As a result, the 37-year-old has now become available in free agency as one of the top QBs besides Aaron Rodgers. Cousins has accumulated 44,700, 298 TDs, and 131 INTs since joining the NFL in 2012 to establish himself as one of the more stable veteran signal-callers in the NFL.

Therefore, if Rodgers finally retires or even decides not to go back to Pittsburgh, the Steelers might consider Cousins as a way to get into that veteran base in the QB room. The cousins will be able to offer the stability of the front office of the Steelers as they work on a long-term solution to the QB position.