The Pittsburgh Steelers will run it back with Aaron Rodgers in 2026 after the four-time NFL MVP agreed to return for a 22nd NFL season on a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $25m.

According to NFL Network, Rodgers’ new contract includes $22m guaranteed with additional incentives that could push the total value upward. The 42-year-old is expected to report immediately for offseason activities as Pittsburgh begins a new era under head coach Mike McCarthy.

The decision ends months of speculation surrounding Rodgers’ future following repeated suggestions during the 2025 season that retirement was a genuine possibility. Instead, Rodgers will reunite with McCarthy, the coach with whom he won Super Bowl XLV while with the Green Bay Packers, something that initially appeared far less certain after the departure of long-time Steelers coach Mike Tomlin earlier this offseason.

Tomlin was widely viewed as a major factor behind Rodgers choosing to sign with Pittsburgh in the first place, and team owner Art Rooney II publicly acknowledged the coaching change could influence the quarterback’s thinking. But Pittsburgh quickly pivoted to McCarthy, restoring a familiar partnership that produced 107 victories and a Lombardi Trophy in Green Bay.

Despite his age, and without the sort of injury that has hobbled recent campaigns, Rodgers delivered an effective first season in Pittsburgh in 2025. He threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and just seven interceptions while helping the Steelers claim their first AFC North title since 2020. Pittsburgh went 10-6 in games started by Rodgers before suffering a heavy Wild Card defeat against the Houston Texans.

Throughout the offseason, general manager Omar Khan repeatedly stressed that ‘the door is open’ for Rodgers to return, while also praising the veteran’s leadership and toughness inside the locker room. Khan and McCarthy both maintained regular contact with Rodgers during the prolonged decision-making process, although the uncertainty reportedly tested the organisation’s patience at times as Pittsburgh — like several teams before them — approached OTAs without clarity at quarterback.

The Steelers explored long-term quarterback options during the draft, selecting former Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar earlier this spring, but the expectation is now that Rodgers will remain firmly atop the depth chart entering training camp.

For Pittsburgh, the gamble is obvious. The Steelers have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season and have exited in the Wild Card Round in six consecutive postseason appearances. By reuniting Rodgers and McCarthy, the franchise is betting that one final push from two future Hall of Fame figures can finally end that drought.