Aaron Rodgers future is one of the biggest talking points in the ongoing NFL offseason. Reports say that the Pittsburgh Steelers are keen to re-sign the 42-year-old after his one-year deal in came to an end last season. But Rodgers' camp has remained alarmingly silent on the veteran quarterback's future.
With the NFL draft 2026 approaching, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have big moves to make. The Steelers will kick off the draft with the No. 21 overall pick in the first round. And who they pick will partly be dictated by what Rodgers decides. But with just eight days left, things still hang in the balance for the Steelers.
On Monday, NFL Insider Adam Schefter appeared on The Pat Macfee Show and provided an update on the Steelers' talk with Rodgers, and their potential backup plan in the NFL draft 2026 if Rodgers does not sign a new contract.
Aaron Rodgers Future In Balance
Noting that the Pittsburgh Steelers wanted Aaron Rodgers back "all along", ESPN's NFL Insider Adam Schefter said that it is the veteran quarterback's camp that has remained silent on his future. But talks are still ongoing "regularly" between Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy, and though it "seems like he's interested in coming back, but he has not committed," Schefter said.
But with Rodgers likely still undecided, how do the Pittsburgh Steelers go about the draft?
{{/usCountry}}But with Rodgers likely still undecided, how do the Pittsburgh Steelers go about the draft?
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Arvell Reese or David Bailey? New York Jets grapple with tough choice ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
Steelers Draft Plan And Aaron Rodgers Future
Schefter said that they are likely targeting either quarterback Ty Simpson as the No. 21 pick. However, noting that there are not many top prospect quarterbacks after Ty Simson, the Steelers are hoping that Aaron Rodgers would return.
"So, the question that I think people are starting to wonder and ask is if he hasn't committed by the time the draft starts next week in Pittsburgh, do the Steelers go and consider taking Ty Simpson at number 21 from Alabama?" Schefter said.
"Do they go and take a quarterback in round three or four? There aren't a lot of second-round quarterbacks projected in this draft.
"So, I just think the Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting like everybody else, and everybody has assumed all along Aaron Rodgers would be back, and everybody has thought he would be back and expected he would be back."
Ty Simpson Is Steelers Likely Plan
Schefter, however, said that if the Aaron Rodgers talk falls through, he believes the Pittsburgh Steelers will indeed draft Ty Simpson. With Kirk Cousins also departing for the Raiders, the Steelers will not have a veteran QB in their ranks if Rodgers decides not to return. The situation, Schefter thinks, will prompt them to inevitably go for the Ty Simpsons, the best they can do in the draft.
"I do think that their backup plan, if he decided not to come back, would have been Kirk Cousins pivoting to him," he said.
And now Kirk Cousins has gone and signed with the Raiders. So, there is no real veteran backup pivot plan in the event that Aaron Rodgers should decide that he's not going to play this year."