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The Pittsburgh Steelers brought in Aaron Rodgers to salvage a couple years of mediocre quarterback play, taking a gamble on the then-41-year-old.
But there were hardly any issues, as the Steelers were once again in the playoffs, as Mike Tomlin again finished above .500.
However, Rodgers, like last year, is playing the waiting game and remains a free agent.
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Aaron Rodgers (8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on looks on during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(Michael Owens/Getty Images)
It does seem like in all likelihood that Rodgers will return to Pittsburgh for a 22nd NFL season, and one Steelers legend believes that the team doesn’t really have many other answers.
“When you have no alternative, then you have no choice,” Jerome Bettis told Digital. And I think there’s some players that are afforded a little bit more latitude than others, and Aaron Rodgers is one of them, especially when you are limited from a quarterback perspective, in terms of depth and experience, right?”
Bettis, though, actually sees a positive in Rodgers’ wait-and-see.
“There is an opportunity for our number two guy to get a lot of reps, a lot of opportunity, right? So there’s some positives to this, because you’re letting the young guys get an opportunity to run the offense and kind of learn the offense as they go.”
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin walks off the field with Aaron Rodgers (8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers after a 29-24 win against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The game took place in Detroit, Michigan, on Dec. 21, 2025. (Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
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Bettis “of course” understands that players could be upset by waiting on their starting quarterback and wants some “continuity” in the locker room.
“I’d be like, what’s going on? What are we doing? But now that, you went through it, you know the value, you know that Aaron is a team player, right? He understands the culture. So, now it’s not that big of a concern,” Bettis continued.
The Steelers, for the most part, have had pretty consistent quarterback play for two decades, but that has come at the expense elsewhere, Bettis said. With several holes to fill, Bettis is teaming up with The Athletic and its NFL Draft guide, “The Beast,” and meeting Steelers fans in Pittsburgh to discuss what they want in this month’s NFL Draft, which will take place in Pittsburgh.
“They can look at players that they don’t know about, players that are maybe being talked about, that they don’t have any real understanding of. Now they get that really detailed information about some of the young guys that they’re gonna be rooting for the next 10, 15 years,” Bettis said. “You can’t possibly know a lot on all these guys, and that’s why The Beast is gonna be so helpful and so useful for the fans, so that they’re up to date understanding of who that young, young man is, um, that’s possibly being drafted. …
Running back Jerome Bettis #36 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the football against the Denver Broncos during the 1997 season AFC Championship game at Three Rivers Stadium on January 11, 1998 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Broncos defeated the Steelers 24-21. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
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“They have let the other pieces deteriorate in the sense of, the running game struggled, the receivers struggled. So, they’ve got to do a lot to help the quarterback,” Bettis said, adding defensive help is necessary, too. “And, I mean, get the receivers, get the offensive line help, get the running back position figured out. They gotta do some things before you get to the quarterback, because right now, the other pieces aren’t good enough.”
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