What is next for veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers after Mike Tomlin departed the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Where does Mike Tomlin’s departure from Pittsburgh leave Aaron Rodgers?
Have we seen the last of Aaron Rodgers? Perhaps as a member of the Steelers we have
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Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
A return to the NFL remains possible for next year, but it seems a return to Pittsburgh is off the table.
Reporting on Saturday ahead of the NFL’s Divisional Round, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network indicated that following Tomlin’s decision to step down as the head coach of the Steelers, Rapoport “would not expect” Rodgers to return to Pittsburgh. Rodgers signed a one-year deal to play for Tomlin ahead of the 2025 season, and during his first official remarks after putting pen to paper on that contract, the veteran quarterback made it clear that playing for Tomlin was a big part of the decision.
“It starts with Mike Tomlin,” Rodgers said. “I’ve been a fan of his for a long time. There’s a few iconic franchises in the NFL. I played for one of them for 18 years. This is another one of those. There’s something special about obviously this area. So many great quarterbacks are from Pittsburgh. I feel like Pittsburgh has been a part of my career from the beginning.”
Following Pittsburgh’s loss to the Houston Texans on Wild Card weekend, Rodgers not only demurred when asked about his own future — noting he would not be making any emotional decisions on Monday night — but offered a full-throated endorsement of his head coach.
”I mean, this league has changed a lot in my 21 years,” he said on Monday night. “You know, when you hear a conversation about the Mike Tomlins of the world, the Matt LaFleurs of the world, those are just two that kind of I played for, and when I first got in the league, there wouldn’t be conversation about whether those guys were on the hot seat. You know?
“But the way that the league is covered now and the way that there’s snap decisions and the validity given to the Twitter experts and all the experts on TV now, who make it seem like they know what the hell they’re talking about, to me, that’s an absolute joke,” continued Rodgers.
“And for either of those two guys to be on a hot seat is really apropos of where we’re at as a society and a league. Because obviously Matt’s done a lot of great things in Green Bay, and we had a lot of success. Mike T. has had more success than damn near anybody in the league, you know, for the last 19, 20 years.”
But with Tomlin now on his way out, it appears Rodgers is set to follow.
Where could that leave the future Hall of Fame quarterback? Looking around the league there will be potential options. Several teams picking near the top of the first round have a need at quarterback, including his former team, the New York Jets, who pick second in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Jets were dealt a blow when Oregon quarterback Dante Moore announced that he was returning to school for another season. However, a reunion seems unlikely.
Other options are the Arizona Cardinals, who look to be moving on from Kyler Murray, and even the Minnesota Vikings. This was an option that was discussed last year before Rodgers signed with the Steelers, and it would complete the Green Bay-New York-Minnesota path that Brett Favre previously walked. The Miami Dolphins could also be an option, or Rodgers could wait until deep during training camp to see if an opportunity arises.
Or this past season was indeed the final chapter of his playing career.
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