Aaron Rodgers is running it back with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Two people with knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press that the four-time NFL MVP agreed to a one-year deal to return to Pittsburgh on Saturday, ending a protracted decision-making process. The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
The 42-year-old Rodgers guided Pittsburgh to an AFC North title last year, throwing for 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He seemed to embrace playing for a team whose football roots run deep, much as he did in Green Bay earlier in his career, and now he’ll be a Steeler for his 22nd and perhaps final season.
Rodgers reunites with former Packers coach Mike McCarthy, hired to lead the Steelers in January after Mike Tomlin stepped down following 19 seasons.
Rodgers and McCarthy spent 13 years together in Green Bay, where Rodgers blossomed into one of the game’s biggest stars after becoming the starting quarterback in 2008. Green Bay won their fourth Super Bowl and Rodgers earned two of his four MVPs with McCarthy calling the plays.
The Steelers made it clear they would welcome Rodgers back, though a couple of artificial deadlines – first the start of free agency in March, then the NFL draft last month in Pittsburgh – came and went with Rodgers unsigned.
The club made the somewhat unusual decision to place an unrestricted free agent tender on Rodgers, a paperwork move that gave the Steelers a bit of protection should Rodgers have opted to sign with another team before training camp opened in late July.
It’s uncertain if a market for Rodgers existed, not that it matters. A year ago, he waited until early June to join the Steelers, then spent the next seven-plus months embracing the experience, earning raves from his teammates for his buy-in and his leadership.
Rodgers joins a quarterback room that expanded while he made up his mind. The Steelers selected Penn State’s Drew Allar in the third round of the draft. He joins veteran Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, a sixth-round choice in 2025.
While it seemed the question surrounding Rodgers wasn’t if he would re-sign, but when, it’s still uncertain when he might actually take the field with his teammates. Pittsburgh begins organized team activities on 18 May.