Aaron Rodgers led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 10-7 record and a first-place finish in the AFC North in 2025. The 42-year-old threw for 3,322 yards with a 65.7% completion percentage to go along with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Pittsburgh lost 30-6 to the Houston Texans in the AFC wild-card round in what ended up being head coach Mike Tomlin's last season with the franchise. Tomlin spent 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, leading the Steelers to two Super Bowl appearances, including a 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII. Tomlin and the Steelers fell short in Super Bowl XLV, losing 31-25 to Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
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Now, with Tomlin gone and McCarthy replacing him as head coach for the 2026 NFL regular season, the two hope to rekindle the flame that led them to a Super Bowl title with the Packers. A recent report highlights the respect Rodgers has for McCarthy.
On Monday, according to Mike Silver of The Athletic, McCarthy would like to see Rodgers play in the team's first two preseason games. Rodgers revealed that McCarthy wants him out there for 30 to 40 plays, and even though Rodgers isn't necessarily thrilled about the decision, he will play if the head coach asks him to.
Rodgers did not play a single preseason snap last season under Tomlin's leadership. Pittsburgh opens the 2026 NFL preseason against Rodgers' former team, the Packers, on Aug. 13 at 7 p.m. ET. The Steelers' next preseason game is against the New York Jets on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. ET.
"He [wants me out there for] 30 or 40 plays," Rodgers said. "I said, 'Mike, if you want me to play, I'll play.' I'm not saying I want to do it. But if he wants me to, I will."
Pittsburgh opens the 2026 NFL regular season by hosting the Atlanta Falcons at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m. ET.
