Aaron Rodgers drops major hint on his NFL future as he contemplates returning to the Steelers

With Aaron Rodgers expected to decide his NFL future sometime this month, the free-agent quarterback is giving Pittsburgh Steelers fans reason for optimism about a possible return to the Steel City. 

Asked about newly hired Steelers coach Mike McCarthy, who Rodgers played for in Green Bay, the 42-year-old spoke glowingly, while stopping short of promising a return. 

‘I’m really happy for [McCarthy],’ Rodgers said during Wednesday’s episode of the Pat McAfee Show. ‘We’ve had good conversations.

‘He’s one of the great guys in the league… Deep down there’s so much love and appreciation for the time we spent together.’

As far as his season in Pittsburgh, Rodgers said he ‘had a blast,’ which is another good sign for Steelers fans hoping to put off the search for a new quarterback another year.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously reported Rodgers is expected to make a decision about a potential return this month, but the quarterback said Wednesday there is no deadline for him to figure out his future.

‘Free agency starts in a week,’ Rodgers told McAfee about his current situation. ‘I’ve talked to Mike,I’ve talked to [Steelers general manager] Omar [Khan]. There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me.

‘There’s no contract offer or anything,’ he continued. ‘So there’s nothing I’m having to debate between. I’m a free agent. Again, I’m enjoying my time with my wife and enjoying this part of the offseason. I think there’s conversations to be had down the line.’

Rodgers’ mention of his new wife was as close as he came to speaking about her. Instead, he expressed his frustration with the frenzy over his wife’s identity, having kept it private since announcing he was married in 2025.

‘The obsession is f***ing bizarre, that’s the only way to put it,’ he said. ‘The obsession is really bizarre. You guys know, you laughed about this many times, you showed pictures of it… we’re not living at the beach anymore.

‘Part of it is, I have legitimate stalkers. I don’t say that lightly or flippantly, I’ve been getting stalked at my house for a year and a half, stalked at the coffee shop, at the gym at Pro Active. The paparazzi was flying drones over my house, I’ve learned that it’s had a bounty on getting a picture of my wife, which I think is very bizarre as well.

‘I understand the attention that comes with somebody that’s accomplished what I’ve accomplished, so in no way am I making this a ‘woe is me’. But when it comes to your personal safety, it’s not just me… it’s me and her, and it’s really f***ing bizarre.’

Rodgers and Pittsburgh were eliminated from the playoffs in the AFC Wild Card round by a 30-6 defeat to the Texans, leaving the signal caller weighing up retirement.

Many would expect Rodgers to be heading back to the Steelers after leading them to a 10-7 regular season record, where he threw for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns.

However, Schefter recently revealed there is another team waiting in the wings: The Minnesota Vikings.

‘I don’t know how Aaron Rodgers feels and I don’t know how the Vikings feel,’ Schefter said on his podcast. ‘They didn’t want to do that last year because they were being protective of [rookie quarterback] JJ McCarthy.

‘But, do they still feel the same way or is Aaron Rodgers part of the conversation?’

Arguably, Minnesota has a better offense than Pittsburgh – with wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison serving as useful assets to any starting quarterback.

However, the Steelers’ hopes of Rodgers returning were boosted by the hiring of McCarthy to replace the outgoing Mike Tomlin as head coach. Rodgers is believed to have been a big fan of Tomlin, but the appointment of McCarthy could be enough to lure him back to Pittsburgh.

McCarthy is obviously familiar with his game. The 62-year-old Pittsburgh native started Rodgers for 172 regular and postseason games during their 11 years together in Green Bay, winning the Packers’ fourth Super Bowl title along the way.