New Aaron Rodgers Rumors as Steelers Place 'Rare' Tender on QB amid Contract, NFL Retirement Buzz

The Pittsburgh Steelers took another step toward a reunion with quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the team placed a right-of-first-refusal tender on the 10-time Pro Bowler, which the NFL insider called "rare." The mechanism doesn't guarantee Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh but effectively means he'll likely land there if he wants to keep playing:

For the second successive offseason, Pittsburgh's QB plans revolve entirely around Rodgers.

For now, the team is heading into the 2026 season with a quarterback room of Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar. Rudolph is a career backup, while neither Howard nor Allar has thrown a pass in an NFL game.

Grading Drew Allar Pick

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Making his debut as an analyst for NBC, former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday he expects Rodgers to suit up for a 22nd season.

Assuming that's the case, it was hard before Tuesday's procedural move to envision him playing for anybody other than the Steelers.

Pretty much every other team in the NFL has locked into its quarterback strategy, and the franchises where Rodgers might be an upgrade are rebuilding. Bringing him in on a short-term contract wouldn't make a lot of sense in those cases.

One can also question whether this is a good approach for Pittsburgh.

The 42-year-old put up solid numbers in 2025. He threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 16 starts.

His limitations were clear, however, as he averaged his fewest yards per game (207.6) as a full-time starter and struggled badly in a Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans.

Rodgers finishing 23rd in QBR (44.4) on ESPN.com feels like a fair reflection of where he is at this point in his career.

Alas, this is the path the Steelers chose, so Rodgers retiring or signing with another team would be a huge setback.