It's late March, and Aaron Rodgers has still not made his decision on whether he wants to return as the quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers or potentially retire. While waiting on Rodgers' decision is not a new concept, it sounds like franchise owner Art Rooney II has given Rodgers an official deadline to make his decision.
Rooney claims that he wants the 42-year-old quarterback to make a decision on his career by the 2026 NFL Draft, according to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. That would mean Rodgers has less than one month to inform the Steelers about his plans for the upcoming season.
“I would by the draft,” said Rooney when revealing when he wants Rodgers to make a decision. “I expect an answer.”
Last offseason, Aaron Rodgers didn't choose to sign with the Steelers until early June. This year, however, the long-time owner seemingly wants to know Rodgers' status well before the summer. The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on Thursday, April 23.
In the meantime, the Steelers only have veteran Mason Rudolph and 2025 rookie Will Howard as the only quarterbacks on the roster. The front office may select a quarterback in the upcoming draft. However, that's kind of been the speculation every year since drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
If Rodgers does return to Pittsburgh, it would be for his 22nd NFL season. The four-time MVP didn't look too bad in his first year with the Steelers, finishing the 2025-26 campaign with 3,322 passing yards and 24 touchdowns while completing 65.7% of his pass attempts.
