Mike Tomlin resigned as the Steelers’ head coach this week, ending a 19-year run with the franchise. Future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers was Tomlin’s last quarterback in Pittsburgh. With Tomlin gone, it’s likely Rodgers has thrown his final pass as a Steeler, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says.
This isn’t especially surprising in the wake of comments owner Art Rooney II made following Tomlin’s exit.
“Aaron came here to play for Mike, so I think it’ll most likely affect his decision,” Rooney said of Rodgers’ future.
During his trip to free agency last offseason, Rodgers reportedly told the Vikings they were his preferred team. After Minnesota didn’t reciprocate, the longtime Packer and ex-Jet pivoted to Pittsburgh on a one-year, $13.65MM contract.
In their only year working together, Rodgers and Tomlin formed a strong bond during a 10-7 campaign. With Rodgers providing an upgrade over predecessor and fellow short-term stopgap Russell Wilson, Tomlin went out with his eighth AFC North title and 13th playoff berth.
With his Steelers tenure likely over, it’s unclear if the 42-year-old Rodgers will aim to play a 22nd season in 2026. Rodgers said before the season that it would probably be his last, but he left the door open for a 2026 return in late December. While a Monday morning report pointed to mutual interest in Rodgers continuing as a Steeler next year, that was before their season fizzled out with a 30-6 loss to the Texans in the wild-card round. Tomlin stepped down the next day.
If this is it for Rodgers, his illustrious career will conclude on a respectable note. The Steelers didn’t have a great offensive supporting cast around him, but Rodgers completed 65.7% of passes, amassed 3,322 yards, tossed 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and posted a 94.8 passer rating in 16 games. That may be enough to convince other teams to pursue him as a short-term fix in the offseason.
With Rodgers seemingly done in Pittsburgh, it’s unknown which route the team will take at quarterback this offseason. Mason Rudolph is under contract for another year, but he’s likely better off in a backup role. Sixth-round pick Will Howard, who didn’t throw a pass as a rookie, is another in-house option. Otherwise, free agency, the trade market and the draft will be potential avenues for the Steelers. With still a couple of months before decisions are made on that front, the Steelers are working to find a new head coach for the first time since 2007.