Commentary | What’s left to discuss between Steelers, Rodgers?

PITTSBURGH - We’ve officially reached the point in the NFL offseason where no one seems to know what’s going on with Aaron Rodgers.

On Thursday, it was reported that he would visit town over the weekend, potentially to finalize a deal to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026. Less than 24 hours later, other reports suggested that no meeting was scheduled. Saturday morning, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac confirmed that Rodgers indeed made the trip to Pittsburgh, but only his agent was talking with the team.

It’s been another confusing journey for many, including Steelers general manager Omar Khan.

“I don’t know where specifically Aaron is,” Khan told Westwood One Sports on Friday. “You know, I can tell you that Aaron and I, and Coach [Mike McCarthy] and Aaron and Aaron’s representatives, we’ve had some good conversations since the season ended and since Mike got here, and it’s been positive.

“But, yeah, I don’t know where [Rodgers] is at this moment. We continue to have conversations and they’re positive and, you know, we had a good experience with him last year, and, you know, I think he would probably echo the same thing and, you know, conversations continue.”

None of this should be a surprise.

This is what Rodgers does. When it comes to his offseason decisions, nothing can ever be simple. And while we should all be used to it by now, I still find myself wondering … why?

Why does it have to be this way? Why does it need to be such a drama? Especially in this instance.

The Steelers’ patience is starting to wear thin with the 42-year-old former NFL MVP. It’s easy to understand why. They’ve spent the entire offseason giving him just about everything he could possibly want.

Let’s review the list:

- Play calling was an issue last season. They addressed it by hiring McCarthy, the man who helped Rodgers become one of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history.

- They added more playmakers to the roster, first through free agency via the signings of wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and running back Rico Dowdle, and then again through the draft by selecting pass catchers Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen.

- They also strengthened their depth up front, drafting offensive tackle Max Iheanachor in the first round and guard Gennings Dunker in the third.

This isn’t to suggest that all of these decisions were made to strictly appease Rodgers, but it’s hard to refute that this year’s situation is far better than the one he signed up for last summer.

The Steelers still clearly want him to be their quarterback. They might be the only NFL franchise that still wants to employ him at this point in his career. But he’s their guy.

Rather than rushing him to make a decision at the start of the offseason, they allowed him to take some time to figure things out. As time went on, they did their best to downplay the drama that was clearly building.

The Steelers have had plenty of other things to worry about. In the last four months, they conducted their first coaching search in decades, retooled a brand-new staff, remained active in free agency and played host to this year’s NFL draft. And throughout all of it, they couldn’t have been more accommodating toward Rodgers.

“We’re in constant, consistent communication,” McCarthy said of Rodgers on “The Rich Eisen Show” last month. “He’s going through his process. … Hopefully we’ll have a decision in the near future.”

Yet, Rodgers continues to make things difficult. It makes no sense. But this is just what he does.

The most frustrating part of all of this is that we know how it will end. Rodgers will eventually sign a one-year deal - something that, despite all the hoopla, still makes sense for both parties. And once that happens, he and the Steelers will move forward as if none of this nonsense ever occurred.

He will report to training camp this summer with a smile on his face. We’ll watch him develop relationships with his targets, enjoy a reunion with his longtime Green Bay Packers coach and chase down more career milestones once the regular season kicks off.

He will again be a steady, veteran voice in the locker room, there to calm everyone down when the team is struggling. He will continue to play the game he loves in perhaps the most ideal situation he could hope for at this stage of his career.

It’s all going to work out.

Which, again, leads me to ask: Why did it have to come to this?

It’s time for Rodgers to make a decision, a decision we all knew he would make months ago. This circus has gone on far too long.

There should be nothing left to discuss.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 2:42 AM.