The Pittsburgh Steelers are still without a clear answer at quarterback since Aaron Rodgers is a free agent who’s continuing to weigh his NFL future. Right now, it’s only Will Howard, Mason Rudolph, and new draft pick Drew Allar in the QB room for Pittsburgh.
But if there’s one person not in the Steelers organization who might know a thing or two about the team’s plans, it’s former head coach Mike Tomlin. He shared his prediction for who will be the starting QB for the Steelers in 2026.
Mike Tomlin Reveals Whether Aaron Rodgers Will Return to Steelers in 2026
Tomlin was the head coach in Pittsburgh for the last 19 seasons, but decided to step down this offseason. Now, he has joined NBC as a broadcaster.
On his first appearance for NBC, he dropped his prediction for who would be under center in Week 1 for the Steelers.
“Man, if you got a gun to my head, I’d say it’s AR (Aaron Rodgers),” Tomlin said. “I just think being around him for the 12 months that I’m around him, he’s got a love affair with the game of football. And not only the game, but the process… I think at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”
Ex-#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin made his first appearance on NBC tonight to discuss his upcoming role as an analyst on Football Night in America.
Tomlin said at the end that, “gun to my head,” he believes Aaron Rodgers will be the Steelers’ QB next season. pic.twitter.com/znT0mKei4n https://t.co/IR2iJ3jLNh
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 26, 2026
The Steelers are going to have to figure out an answer at some point soon, but this isn’t anything new for Pittsburgh. Last offseason, Rodgers didn’t sign with the Steelers until June, so Tomlin knows a thing or two about this waiting game.
Last year, Rodgers led the Steelers to the 14th-ranked offense in PFSN’s Offense Impact score. It was one of their best offensive seasons since Ben Roethlisberger decided to hang up his cleats.
The future is approaching fast for the Steelers, and they’ll be searching for a long-term answer at quarterback. The hope is that either Howard or Allar, the incoming rookie, could emerge as a solution under center.
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But they have the talent right now to compete for the playoffs, and Rodgers likely gives them their best chance to win now.
It’s a new era with a new head coach (Mike McCarthy, whom Rodgers played for on the Green Bay Packers), but Rodgers is very much in play to bridge the two regimes before he hangs up his cleats.
If Rodgers decides to play for the Steelers in 2026, he will clearly be the starter. Otherwise, Tomlin will be proven wrong, and one of the more intriguing QB competitions in the NFL will pit Howard, Rudolph, and Allar against each other as they look to show why they deserve the chance to be under center.
