Mike Tomlin’s decision to step down might be the first of several major offseason changes for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
One day after Tomlin opted to end his 19-year run as the franchise’s coach, Steelers president Art Rooney II indicated that he believes quarterback Aaron Rodgers won’t be back with the team in 2026.
‘Aaron came here to play for Mike,’ Rooney said in a news conference. ‘So I think it will most likely affect his decision.’
Rodgers, 42, signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in June, citing Tomlin as a driving factor in his decision to link up with the team after a tumultuous two-year run with the New York Jets. The four-time NFL MVP said shortly after reaching his contract that he was ‘pretty sure’ that 2025 would be his final season, but in late December he left open the possibility of playing on – whether in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
‘I’m thinking about this week, but obviously I’m 42 years old and I’m on a one-year deal,’ Rodgers said. ‘So you know what the situation is. Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent. So that’ll give me a lot of options if I still want to play. I mean, not a lot of options, but there’ll be options, I would think, maybe one or two, if I decide I still want to play.’
After a season-ending wild-card loss to the Houston Texans on Monday, Rodgers said he would take his time while weighing retirement against returning for a 22nd season.
‘I’m not going to make any emotional decisions at this point,’ Rodgers said. ‘Such a fun year. A lot of adversity, but a lot of fun. Been a great year overall in my life in the last year, and this is a really good part of that, coming here and being a part of this team. So it’s disappointing to be sitting here with the season over.’
The Steelers currently have Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard as the only quarterbacks under contract with the team.