Surprise head coaching hire Mike McCarthy made his first media appearance today and announced he would love to have Aaron Rodgers back in Pittsburgh for another season. His exact statement was, “Definitely. I mean, I don’t see why you wouldn’t.”
McCarthy had to make this statement to the media. Rodgers was essentially his only quarterback in Green Bay for over a decade. The two won a Super Bowl together. Getting the chance to have one last ride with the quarterback who made you one of the winningest coaches of the 2010s is a no-brainer response to the public. However, is he really the best option for the Steelers in 2026?
If the Steelers are looking for a repeat of the Mike Tomlin era, then Rodgers is a no-doubt option as your QB1. He had a decent year last season, totaling 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. At his best, Rodgers was hitting on his deep balls and running a clean offense for the Steelers. Unfortunately, at his worst, he looked like an immobile, past-his-prime gunslinger, missing reads left and right.
To Rodgers’ defense, the offense lacks talent across the board, and on the other side of the ball, the defense was still top 10 in defensive EPA per play. But it wasn’t nearly as strong as in years past.
Unless Pittsburgh can find the cap space to shore up its offensive line and add another decent receiver to pair with DK Metcalf, I’m not sure the Steelers could possibly be better next year. To make matters worse, the defense is starting to decline in key positions, so it will be an uphill battle to win a playoff game next season.
I felt like McCarthy was brought in to help refresh this team — trade their aging veterans away, acquire significant draft capital and open up cap space to get aggressive after a very short tank. The Steelers felt stuck in the mud toward the end of the Tomlin era, so getting a fresh paint job on the car might be good for Pittsburgh.
Bringing back Rodgers for one more year means you won’t be trading anyone away. That would be great, but I’m not sure you can turn the rest of this roster into a contender. Re-signing Rodgers returns you to another season of football purgatory. You’re not good enough to truly contend, and you’re not bad enough to draft a top quarterback.
The Steelers organization doesn’t seem like a team that would ever purposefully tank, but I’m not sure it’s the best move if you ever want a seventh ring brought home to Heinz Field — Acrisure Stadium.
