NFL Insider Casts Doubt on Aaron Rodgers' Steelers Return

CBS reporter says sources indicate Rodgers is more likely to retire than play another season

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Recent reports have suggested that veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers may return to the Pittsburgh Steelers for another season, but CBS Sports' Aditi Kinkhabwala says she's heard a different sentiment from sources close to Rodgers. Kinkhabwala claims the 'chance he comes back to play is minuscule' and that 'it seems far more likely that he is done than that he is going to return'.

Why it matters

Rodgers' future has been a major storyline this offseason, with conflicting reports about whether the four-time MVP will retire or play another year. His decision will have significant implications for the Steelers' quarterback situation and plans for the 2026 season.

The details

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and ESPN's Brooke Pryor have recently suggested the odds are increasing that Rodgers will return to the Steelers in 2026. However, Kinkhabwala, who has spoken to people close to Rodgers, says those reports don't align with the sentiment she's heard from her sources. Kinkhabwala described Rodgers as a 'mercurial figure' who will make his own decision on his own timeline, but she believes it's 'far more likely that he is done than that he is going to return'.

  • Rodgers signed with the Steelers in June 2025.
  • The 2026 NFL season is set to begin in September 2026.

The players

Aaron Rodgers

A 42-year-old quarterback who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 after spending the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

Mike McCarthy

The current head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who previously coached Rodgers when they were both with the Green Bay Packers.

Aditi Kinkhabwala

A CBS Sports reporter who has spoken to sources close to Aaron Rodgers about his future plans.

Tom Pelissero

An NFL Network reporter who has suggested the odds are increasing of Rodgers returning to the Steelers in 2026.

Brooke Pryor

An ESPN reporter who has said Rodgers seems 'more likely to come back than not' for the 2026 season.

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What they’re saying

“Everyone that I've spoken to who has been around him feels that the chance he comes back to play is minuscule.”

— Aditi Kinkhabwala, CBS Sports reporter (93.7 The Fan)

“We all know that Aaron Rodgers is one of the most mercurial figures in the National Football League over the course of the last few decades. He is going to do what he wants to do. He will do what he wants to do at his own pace and his own time. And conversations with people who are around him all year, who were with him when he was leaving the Steelers when the season was over, all of those people I spoke to said it seems far more likely that he is done than that he is going to return.”

— Aditi Kinkhabwala, CBS Sports reporter (93.7 The Fan)

What’s next

Rodgers is expected to make a decision on his future in the coming weeks or months, as the 2026 NFL season approaches. The Steelers will need to have a contingency plan in place if Rodgers does decide to retire.

The takeaway

Despite recent optimism about Aaron Rodgers returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a veteran NFL reporter has cast doubt on those rumors, indicating her sources believe the four-time MVP is more likely to retire than play another season. Rodgers' future remains uncertain, but the Steelers may need to prepare for life after the future Hall of Famer.