Steelers fans quickly learning what former teammate knows about Aaron Rodgers return

When the Pittsburgh Steelers brought Aaron Rodgers back for a second season, this time under new head coach Mike McCarthy, it was met with a relative shrug across the league. Steelers fans, for their part, mostly know what this means. The Steelers aren't going anywhere fast, but a playoff berth would largely be considered a victory in McCarthy's first season. It's not like Pittsburgh had a better option, after all. The 2026 NFL Draft class was devoid of top prospects outside of Fernando Mendoza. Free agency features some classic overpays that could come back to haunt pretending teams (cough Malik Wills).

Barring an unexpected trade for a star quarterback — and those are a rare find these days — the Steelers were always going to be stuck with Rodgers or another veteran retread. That's just how this front office thinks. To Omar Khan and owner Art Rooney Jr., it's better to tread water than bottom out.

What Aaron Rodgers' former teammates know about the Steelers

Rodgers is 42 years old. There's no getting around that, as the future Hall of Famer is ancient in quarterback terms. Rodgers is in his Brett Favre era, and it's ironic that his career will likely end with his third team, just as it did his predecessor. Rodgers should enjoy one final run with McCarthy, even if it ends poorly. Whether that's a good thing for the Steelers and their fanbase remains to be seen.

“I just don’t think they’re particularly interesting,” J.J. Jansen, Rodgers former teammate, said. “I think they will be fine. I was in Green Bay when Aaron was a starter for the first time with Mike McCarthy. I think it’s gonna be a fine working relationship. One of the interesting things, getting to talk to Aaron a little bit last year, he spoke so highly of Mike Tomlin. He equated it to playing for Mike McCarthy. He has a lot of respect for Mike McCarthy."

Rodgers and McCarthy should thrive. The duo spent some of Rodgers' best years together, and while they did butt heads at times, they also won a Super Bowl together. Now, this is a much different version of Rodgers, which is what Jansen is hinting at in the quote above.

What Steelers fans really want out of the 2026 NFL season

The Steelers need to figure out what's next at the most important position in football. They selected Drew Allar in the third round of the NFL Draft. Will Howard missed all of last preseason with an injury and has yet to see action beyond practice. As great as the pro potential may be for both, we don't know until we see it.

It's completely understandable for the Steelers to bring Rodgers back rather than rolling out Howard and/or Allar. Doing so would be asking for failure, which the Steelers are not accustomed to doing. Rooney Jr. does not rebuild. Rodgers gives them a chance to do that with a new coaching staff. One can only hope that in another full season, Pittsburgh can answer some questions about what comes next at QB. PerJansen, it sure sounds like McCarthy wants to help Rodgers rid off into the sunset on the best of terms.

That means less action and attention for Allar and Howard. McCarthy's self-stated goal when he was hired was to find the next great starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has worked with great QBs in the past, from Joe Montana to Favre to Rodgers. His resumé is stacked. Actually achieiving that goal with the quarterback room he inheritied will be easier said than done.

The biggest concern Steelers fans have heading into the 2026 season is that McCarthy pays more attention to Rodgers than developing the future at the quarterback position. If what Jansen says is true, then most of his focus is already in the wrong place.

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