Steelers 'Praying' Aaron Rodgers Will Sign New Contract, Says NFL Insider amid Latest Rumors

Despite recent indications that veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2026 season, nothing is official as of yet.

The Athletic's Michael Silver reported that the Steelers are anxiously awaiting Rodgers' decision, as it will shape their outlook for the upcoming campaign.

"They're praying Rodgers, who'll turn 43 this season, will get back in the ring to take another swing," Silver stated. "Otherwise — at least on paper — they don't seem to have a puncher's chance of getting back to the playoffs."

Rodgers reportedly visited Pittsburgh this past weekend but didn't meet with the Steelers while he was in the city. A team source told Silver that "the Steelers' powers that be were caught off guard by reports of Rodgers' apparent visit to Pittsburgh, as no plans for a meeting had been made. They claim to be out of the loop."

Earlier this offseason, Steelers owner Art Rooney II told reporters that he expected Rodgers to make a decision by the NFL draft. When that didn't happen, Pittsburgh gave Rodgers the rarely used "unrestricted free agent tender," which "sets up the team for a compensatory draft pick should Rodgers decide to sign elsewhere, permits Rodgers to play only for Pittsburgh once training camp begins and, if unsigned by Week 10, precludes him from playing anywhere in 2026 absent a finding of "extreme hardship" by an independent arbitrator," Silver explained.

Since no other teams have been pursuing Rodgers this offseason, Silver noted that the procedural transaction "piqued a lot of people's curiosity." It appears that the Steelers' optimism diminished at some point, leading them to make such an aggressive move.

ESPN's Brooke Pryor reported on Monday that there's a chance Rodgers could make his decision by the start of next week.

"I think the next date that we should have circled on our calendars is May 18," Pryor said during an appearance on SportsCenter. "That is the start of the Steelers' next phase of organized team activities. I believe that's the date the Steelers have circled. So some things could come together in the next week, but so far it has not."

By all accounts, the Steelers are desperately hoping that Rodgers will remain in the Black & Gold for the 2026 season, and they will continue sweating it out as he makes them wait.