Aaron Rodgers’ move to NFC West team ‘makes sense’ as deadline looms
The Steelers continue to wait on Aaron Rodgers as the last domino to fall in their offseason plans.
Despite Rodgers missing Steelers owner Art Rooney II’s draft day deadline, Pittsburgh haven’t given up hope just yet that the veteran QB will return in 2026.
Last week, Pittsburgh placed the unrestricted free agent (UFA) tag on Rodgers, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
The UFA means that Pittsburgh will receive exclusive negotiating rights for Rodgers if he does not sign by July 22, 2026 or the first scheduled day of the first 2026 NFL training camp, whichever is later.
In the meantime, Rodgers is obligated to discuss with other teams, not just the Steelers, whom he started at quarterback for in 2025.
It’s highly likely that if he returns for a 22nd season in the league, it will be with the Steelers, but an interesting rumor has surfaced online.
Mike Florio of NBC Sports wrote that it would make ‘good sense for the Arizona Cardinals to be interested’.
The Cardinals ended the Kyer Murray experiment this offseason, and even with rookie Carson Beck on the roster, they don’t have a true starting quarterback.
Florio would go on to explain why a potential Rodgers-Cardinals linkup could work.
“Nathaniel Hackett, his former offensive coordinator with the Packers and the Jets, has that same role in Arizona now,” Florio added.
“Mike LaFleur, brother of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur (with whom Rodgers won a pair of NFL MVP awards), is the Cardinals’ head coach.
“Last year, Mike LaFleur was the Rams’ offensive coordinator. They viewed Rodgers as a potential Plan B, if Matthew Stafford had been traded to the Giants or the Raiders.”
Florio was quick to say that members of the media were ‘connecting the dots’ rather than an official confirmation of interest.
It’s unlikely Rodgers would go to the Cardinals if given the chance, due to the competitive nature of their division.
But an opportunity to throw to Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. might be tempting enough for him to consider.
“If Rodgers is hoping to finish his career with a playoff run, it won’t be easy to do it with the Cardinals. It won’t be impossible. But it won’t be easy.” Florio continued.
Rodgers did prove in 2025 that he still has something left in the tank, leading Pittsburgh to a playoff berth.
He threw for 3322 yards, with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, but his wildcard game performance left much to be desired.
Will Howard, Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph are the current contractual quarterbacks on the roster.
The case for Rodgers provides more than MVP experience. It’s veteran mentorship for a Steelers quarterback room that is running out of time to be ready when he eventually calls it a career.
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