The Pittsburgh Steelers have not closed the door on the return of Aaron Rodgers.
Speaking at the NFL Combine, general manager Omar Khan says discussions have already taken place about bringing back the veteran quarterback for another season. New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy coached Rodgers for 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers where they won Super Bowl XLV together in 2011.
“The door’s open to have Aaron back,” Khan told reporters. “I’ve had conversations with him — I spoke to him last week. Mike’s spoken to him. He knows how we feel about him. Right now, we’re proceeding [as if] he’s a free agent and he’s not on the roster. But, he knows how we feel about him.”
Rodgers, 42, has not publicly committed to playing a 22nd NFL season. He appeared in 16 games for the Steelers in 2025, throwing for 3,322 yards on 327-for-498 passing with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Cal product spent 2023 and 2024 with the New York Jets following 18 seasons with the Packers.
The Steelers’ pursuit of the future Hall of Famer was a protracted one with Rodgers finally putting pen to paper in June. While not issuing a drop-dead date for a return, Khan says he doesn’t expect a repeat of last year’s courtship.
“No deadline,” Khan said. “All I’ll tell you guys is I don’t foresee this going like it did last year.”
In Mike Tomlin’s last season with the team, the Steelers finished atop the AFC North with a 10-7 record. They were bounced in the AFC wild-card round, 30-6, by the Houston Texans.
