Steelers Urged To 'Get Out' Of Aaron Rodgers Business Before NFL Draft

Aaron Rodgers has held the Pittsburgh Steelers hostage for the second offseason in a row.

There's no question Rodgers can still play at an efficient level. He completed 65.7% of his past attempts last season for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The question though is whether or not he's fully committed to the Steelers.

Steelers owner Art Rooney II suggested that a final decision from Rodgers would be made before the NFL Draft on April 23. Well, that day is almost here and the Steelers still don't have an answer from the four-time MVP.

"I wish I could tell you we're at the end of the discussion, but we're still talking to Aaron and he's still deciding what he wants to do," Rooney said on WDVE. "I think we're close. He's kind of told us his time frame and what he's going to be up to over the next couple of weeks."

During this Tuesday's episode of "First Things First" on FS1, Nick Wright begged the Steelers to move on from Rodgers.

"You're the Pittsburgh Steelers! The draft is in Pittsburgh. Tell [general manager] Omar Khan, 'I typically don't meddle in football operations, but I'm going to make an exception. With the 21st pick, take your favorite quarterback available.' You have to get out of the Aaron Rodgers business," Wright said.

What's the backup plan at QB?

According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, there's a "very real possibility" the Steelers select a quarterback during the later rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.

That being said, Pryor also mentioned that Steelers coach Mike McCarthy likes what he has in second-year quarterback Will Howard.

"I'm really excited about Will Howard," McCarthy said. "He's someone that, I thought, he really came on there at Ohio State."

If the Steelers are unable to secure a new deal with Rodgers, they might use the 2026 season as a reset year.

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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 7:23 AM.