As the NFL Draft looms just days away, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a precarious position. The franchise has made it abundantly clear that they want veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers to return under center this season.
However, Rodgers’s prolonged silence has left the organization in limbo, prompting NFL insider Adam Schefter to openly wonder whether Pittsburgh will be forced to pivot to the draft, specifically targeting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
How Aaron Rodgers’ Silence Could Force the Steelers to Draft Ty Simpson
A major source of anxiety in Pittsburgh is the once again continuously shifting timeline for Rodgers’ decision. Following the conclusion of the season, the expectation within the Steelers’ building was that a resolution would be reached swiftly.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. Rodgers did something similar last season when the Steelers offered him a roster spot.
He kept the team waiting about three months before signing his contract in June. However, that didn’t hurt his reputation. Schefter said everyone involved in the franchise, including Rodgers’ teammates, wants the four-time NFL MVP to return.
“When the season ended, my understanding was the Steelers expected to get word on Aaron Rodgers from Aaron Rodgers in about 30 days,” Schefter noted, which would have meant an answer by mid-February.
Instead, the timeline stretched to free agency, and then again. “And maybe next week he’ll just announce he’s coming back. But guess what? The draft is next week,” Schefter explained.
Although he noted that Rodgers has reportedly been communicating regularly with new head coach Mike McCarthy and appears interested in returning, his lack of a formal commitment is raising alarms.
Complicating matters further for the Steelers is the complete evaporation of their safety net. During the early days of the offseason, the front office had a clear contingency plan, according to Schefter.
“I do think that their backup plan, if he decided not to come back, would have been Kirk Cousins pivoting to him,” Schefter revealed. However, with Cousins having recently signed with the Raiders, Pittsburgh’s options on the veteran market have drastically dwindled.
As Schefter bluntly pointed out, “there is no real veteran backup pivot plan in the event that Aaron Rodgers should decide that he’s not going to play this year.”
With the draft next week in Pittsburgh, the Steelers still are waiting for an answer from Aaron Rodgers about whether he will play this season.
With @tyschmit
🎧 https://t.co/q58nlpNTcN pic.twitter.com/AibfxnmoLH
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 14, 2026
This uncertainty is now colliding head-on with the NFL Draft. If Pittsburgh does not receive a definitive answer from Rodgers, the front office may be backed into a corner, forcing them to look toward the collegiate ranks.
Schefter speculated whether the team might target a top prospect to secure its future. “If he hasn’t committed by the time the draft starts next week in Pittsburgh, do the Steelers go and consider taking Ty Simpson at number 21 from Alabama?” Schefter asked.
He acknowledged the distinct gap between the top tier and the “next crop” of quarterbacks like Carson Beck, Drew Allar, and Garrett Nussmeier, emphasizing that Pittsburgh is currently stuck “waiting like everybody else.”
Ultimately, the Steelers are facing a critical offseason crossroads. They have a roster eager to have Rodgers back, but the ongoing silence is paralyzing their ability to be flexible.
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“So now if the draft comes and you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, are you talking more about quarterbacks and [the] draft? I think you are,” Schefter observed.
Unless Rodgers breaks his silence, Pittsburgh will be forced into difficult conversations on draft night, potentially ushering in the Simpson era far sooner than anyone in the organization expected.
