January 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) listens during the second half of the AFC Wild Card round game against the Houston Texans at Accrazer Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Aaron Rodgers sounds very open to a reunion with Mike McCarthy, but the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t offered him a contract or a deadline for deciding his status for 2026.
Rodgers, a 42-year-old unrestricted free agent, said on “The Pat McAfee Show” Wednesday that he is not ready to make any grand declarations until he can talk to every NFL team on March 9. That is the date the league allows unrestricted free agents to contact teams to discuss contract terms. They will be able to sign from March 11, when the new league year begins.
“There’s no argument because there’s no contract offer or anything,” Rodgers said about playing a second season in Pittsburgh. “I’m a free agent. I’m having a great time with my wife and I’m enjoying this offseason. I think there are some things we need to discuss going forward, but at this point there haven’t been any progressing conversations.”
“There was no deadline set for me. There was no contract floated in front of me. … I’m interested to see how the conversation goes, but there hasn’t been any progress on that.”
Rodgers threw 24 touchdown passes and seven interceptions last season, leading the Steelers to the AFC North division title and a playoff berth.
Steelers general manager Omar Khan said last week that the franchise would not be put on hold for several months until Rodgers decides whether and where he will play in his 22nd NFL season. Rodgers did not sign with the Steelers last spring as expected, with his official one-year deal waiting until June 5 to sign. Nearly three weeks later, he declared that “I’m confident this is it” for the 2025 season to be his final.
According to Khan, who hired McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin at the end of the 2025 season, the four-time MVP “knows where we are.” McCarthy coached Rodgers in Green Bay and has been in contact with him about the 2026 game. During McCarthy’s 13 seasons with the Packers, his starting pitcher every season was Rodgers.
“Mike is one of the best players in the league.” Rogers said. “Just a really great human being with a big heart. We’ve had a lot of fun times together. He really cares about the players, but he also holds them accountable and creates a lot of structure and detail along the way. I’ve really loved my time with Mike. Obviously, like a big brother, sometimes I love him and sometimes I get mad at him, but deep down, I have so much love for Mike and gratitude for the time we spent together.”
When it comes to training and plans to prepare for the 2026 season, Rodgers isn’t playing that card yet. He told McAfee that he stays in shape for marital reasons.
–Field level media
