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Aaron Rodgers made it clear that reuniting with Mike McCarthy was a big reason why he opted to return to the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have received some clarity regarding Aaron Rodgers‘ status for the 2026 campaign, as he signed a one-year contract that is worth up to $25 million to return to the Steelers for one more season. However, as Rodgers made very clear on Wednesday afternoon, this is going to be his final year in the league before he calls it a career.

Now that he is officially back with Pittsburgh, Rodgers will end up reuniting with Mike McCarthy, who was his head coach for 13 years during his time with the Green Bay Packers. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that McCarthy’s presence played a big role in Rodgers’ decision to return for one more season, and he kept it real when discussing just how excited he is to play for him this upcoming year.

Aaron Rodgers’ Excited Reaction to Playing for Mike McCarthy in 2026

McCarthy took over as the Packers’ head coach in 2006, which was Rodgers’ second season in the league. At the time, Rodgers was still working as Brett Favre’s backup, but he eventually earned the starting job in 2008, and in just his third season as a starter, he teamed up with McCarthy to lead Green Bay to victory in Super Bowl XLV.

After Mike Tomlin surprisingly resigned as the Steelers’ head coach earlier this offseason, McCarthy quickly emerged as the lead candidate to replace him. Not only did the team admire his connection to the Pittsburgh area, but his relationship with Rodgers was also viewed as a big plus (even if the team has come out and said that it didn’t play a role in its decision to hire him).

Still, there was no guarantee that Rodgers would return, as it seemed like the 2025 campaign would be his final year in the league. Instead, he’s opted to run it back one more time, and it appears getting the chance to work with McCarthy played a big role in his decision. OTAs are just getting underway in Pittsburgh, but Rodgers already has enjoyed teaming up with McCarthy for the first time since 2018.

“Sitting in the first 8 o’clock meeting on Monday took me back to being a 22-year-old kid sitting in Green Bay,” Rodgers said. “It’s fun. I mean, it’s like ‘pinch me’ moments. It’s been happening the last few days, getting to sit next to [offensive line coach] James Campen in the meetings is fun. [Assistant offensive line coach] Jahri Evans was a teammate of mine. He’s on his staff now as a Hall of Famer — should be a Hall of Famer. That’s pretty cool too. A lot of connections.”

Aaron Rodgers Makes it Clear He’s Retiring After 2026 Campaign

GettyThe Pittsburgh Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers turns 43 before the 2026 season.

While McCarthy appears set to stick around with the Steelers for years to come, Rodgers is only playing for one more season before retiring. That’s been the big question that Pittsburgh was hoping to receive an answer to this offseason, so while it’s done well to keep Rodgers around for now, it is going to have to find a more permanent answer at quarterback in the near future.

For now, everyone in Pittsburgh is excited about what’s to come in 2026. Rodgers and McCarthy accomplished quite a bit during their time together in Green Bay, so who’s to say they can’t recreate that magic now that they are with the Steelers? Doing so is going to be easier said than done, but if Rodgers can turn back the clock one last time, this team could surprise a lot of folks when it returns to action.

Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli