Aaron Rodgers’ reported reaction to the resignation of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin tells a lot.
According to a post in “The Athletic,” the Steelers’ quarterback was heard “through sobs” telling his coach, “I’m sorry” after Tomlin’s announcement to the team.
The reason for that is clear. Rodgers knows his presence wasn’t enough to get the preseason goal of this team done: Finally win a playoff game again.
Sure. The organization always says the goal for every edition of the team is to win a Super Bowl. But we all knew in August that wasn’t happening with the 2025 club.
That said, winning just one playoff game for the first time since 2016 was at least possible. It’s not the high bar we once had in Pittsburgh. At this point, however, the whole region would’ve been happy with that.
Theoretically, Rodgers was the piece to make that happen. His quarterbacking skills were supposed to be the difference between a team that just squeaks into the playoffs as a road wild card that was about to become cannon fodder for the big boys in the AFC, and a team that could win a division, host a playoff game and advance to the second round.
Part of that equation came to fruition. But not enough of it.
In the end, the Steelers posted a 10-7 record — just like last year with the Justin Fields/Russell Wilson duo at quarterback.
They got squashed in a playoff game, as was the case last year. It just happened to be at home because the typically mediocre Steelers happened to clinch a surprisingly below-average AFC North before getting trounced 30-6 by a superior wild-card team from Houston.
That’s why Rodgers was supposedly “sobbing” after Tomlin’s announcement. He was brought here to make a difference. In the big picture, he didn’t.
To be fair to Rodgers, he’s putting too much of what happened on his own shoulders. With Wilson, Fields or Mason Rudolph at the helm, the Steelers don’t even get to 10-7. At the very least, they don’t beat the Ravens in both of those games and win the division. Rodgers threw for almost 300 yards in both of those games and engineered two impressive, clutch victories.
If the Steelers stick with Fields, Wilson, or Rudolph, Tomlin ends his Pittsburgh career at 8-9 or worse, and his fabled non-losing season streak ends in the process.
Instead, he at least walked away as a division champion.
So, to that extent, if we are debating the overarching question of “Was Aaron Rodgers worth it in Pittsburgh,” the answer is “yes.”
Especially since the keyword in that sentence is “worth.” Rodgers only cost the organization $14.1 million against the salary cap. That’s a pittance for a veteran quarterback these days.
Was he worth it despite all the drama surrounding the extended waiting game for him to sign in the first place during the spring?
I guess. What else was the front office going to do? It clearly didn’t want any of the draft-eligible quarterbacks. They weren’t interested in retaining Wilson or Fields (for good reason). They weren’t going to outbid Seattle for Sam Darnold (even though they should’ve).
As a result, as unsettling as it was, waiting for Rodgers didn’t upset the apple cart for their team-planning.
The greater question, looking back on it and knowing what we now know, what was Tomlin’s motivation for wanting Rodgers so badly?
If we believe Hall of Fame defensive back Ronde Barber’s recent statements that Tomlin confided in him that 2025 was likely to be his final season, was Tomlin averse to taking a chance on a long-term investment in a potential rookie franchise quarterback like Jaxson Dart in the draft because he wanted a more sure thing in Rodgers for the short term?
It’s a part of the calculus that wasn’t considered much eight or nine months ago, but it’s worth thinking about now.
During a press conference last week, Art Rooney II conceded that it is highly unlikely Rodgers returns for another year in Pittsburgh with Tomlin out of the picture. Over the weekend, though, ESPN’s Adam Schefter published a report that the Steelers “remain open to an Aaron Rodgers reunion in 2026.” He added that the players “want the four-time league MVP back and conveyed as much to various members of the Steelers organization during their exit meetings last week.”
Almost to a man, Steelers players universally praised Aaron Rodgers during their exit interviews last week, and most if not all of them want the veteran quarterback to return in 2026. https://t.co/NCNPzN0yLw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 18, 2026
Might a possible reunion with Mike McCarthy, Rodgers’ former coach in Green Bay, be a catalyst in that regard? Despite some of the issues those two had with each other in Wisconsin, it might. Schefter also reports that conversations about McCarthy replacing Tomlin could be on the horizon.
But hiring a coach for multiple years just because you want to squeeze one more campaign out of a depreciating asset in Rodgers would be the height of stupidity.
You know the Steelers, though. The non-losing season streak started before Tomlin, and the organization may be hellbent on keeping it going after he’s gone. Going with Rodgers in 2026 is a clearer path than relying on Rudolph, Will Howard or a QB draft class that doesn’t seem to have much first-round depth to it.
That’s certainly true if we get the version of Rodgers we saw over the first five weeks of the season. Or, the one we saw in Detroit and against the Ravens twice.
The guy we saw against Houston? Or up in Cleveland? Or out in L.A. against the Chargers or versus Buffalo? Nah. No thanks.
I’m starting to see where this is going, aren’t you? Keep Rodgers if he is willing. Make a transition for a new coach (especially if it is McCarthy) less likely to bottom out. Give that coach a year to get acclimated and engender some faith within the fan base, and reboot efforts to find a future franchise QB in 2027.
The question, then, needs to be revisited: Would Rodgers be “worth it” again in 2026 under those circumstances?
Now I’m going to have to say, “No.” Even if he comes back at the same price.
New coach. New coordinators. Now is the time to start looking for a new quarterback too. There’s no reason to move from Tomlin being the most important guy in the building to Rodgers holding that role for one more year before he likely leaves at the end of 2026, as well.
By resigning, Tomlin ripped the bandage off for Rooney, general manager Omar Khan and the entire fan base. Let’s not try to patch the wound back up again with 12 more months of Rodgers.