Bullet point summary by AI
- Aaron Rodgers has signed a one-year deal to return for his 22nd NFL season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- The quarterback will attend OTAs starting May 18, marking a change from last year’s late signing.
- Early involvement could help build chemistry with new receivers Michael Pittman and rookie Germie Bernard.
Aaron Rodgers is officially returning for his 22nd season in the NFL, agreeing to a one-year deal to spend another season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s not exactly unexpected that Rodgers is back for the 2026 season. Nor was it a surprise he’s running it back in Steel City. Reuniting with former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy made a foregone conclusion even more certain. Frankly, the timing of Rodgers’ signing is the only shock. I half expected him to wait until June to give Pittsburgh any sort of assurance. Instead, he’s putting pen to paper in time to show up for OTAs.
The Steelers begin their voluntary offseason workouts on Monday, May 18. According to Adam Schefter, Rodgers “is expected to be there.” That’s a significant change from last year when the QB waited until right before Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp in June to sign.
We don’t know how involved Rodgers will be at OTAs this coming week, but it’s at least a positive sign he’ll be showing his face this year. Veterans will always try to claim these workouts aren’t important, but you can’t convince me it’s a good thing for your starting quarterback to be absent for offseason activities.
Aaron Rodgers locking in early-ish with Steelers is a step in the right direction
The QB is the leader of the offense. at the least. They should be the leader of the team. If there’s one position where you shouldn’t be content with just showing up for training camp, it’s quarterback. That’s doubly so for a new coaching staff.
Yeah, Rodgers is familiar with McCarthy, but it’s been a long time since they were on the same team. McCarthy’s last year with the Packers was 2018. That’s seven years ago. Arguably the longest seven years in human history, considering how long ago 2018 feels. Back in 2018, Corona was just a beer…
Rodgers has no familiarity with offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio or quarterbacks coach Tom Arth. It can’t hurt to build rapport with those guys as early as possible.
Aaron Rodgers needs as much time with Steelers receivers as he can get
Speaking of building a rapport, last year’s receiving corps had the opposite of one with Rodgers. The league average for catch rate is 62.4 percent. If you were a Steelers wide receiver with more than 20 targets in 2025, you were well below average in that regard. I’m not saying Rodgers showing up at voluntary workouts would have solved that problem, but it couldn’t have hurt.
|
Receiver |
Targets |
Catch% |
|---|---|---|
|
DK Metcalf |
99 |
59.6 |
|
Calvin Austin III |
55 |
56.4 |
|
Roman Wilson |
21 |
57.1 |
|
Marquez Valdes-Scantling |
21 |
47.6 |
The Steelers are breaking in a very different receiving corps this year, anyway. Gone are Austin and MVS. Enter Michael Pittman (whose career catch rate is 68.4 percent, thank god) and second-round pick Germie Bernard out of Alabama. Unless Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek made an unexpectedly massive leap, Pittman and Bernard are Pittsburgh’s primary hopes of giving Rodgers a reliable target beyond Metcalf.
Getting on the practice field with those guys is important, especially when it comes to the rookie Bernard. Rodgers may be a grizzled veteran who doesn’t need OTAs but his presence could make a difference for all the guys who aren’t.
Did Rodgers and the Steelers learn their lesson after last year? I’m not putting much stock in that possibility, but the fact that it’s a possibility is a step in the right direction. For once, Rodgers and the Steelers aren’t taking the most suboptimal approach.
More NFL news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
