{"id":494497,"date":"2026-02-21T10:46:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T10:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/494497\/"},"modified":"2026-02-21T10:46:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T10:46:10","slug":"steelers-news-mike-mccarthy-reveals-latest-on-aaron-rodgers-future-and-his-unexpected-new-hobby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/494497\/","title":{"rendered":"Steelers News: Mike McCarthy Reveals Latest on Aaron Rodgers\u2019 Future, and His Unexpected New Hobby"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-1\" class=\"data-event\">Nobody knows what Aaron Rodgers is going to do next. Perhaps even Rodgers himself doesn\u2019t know. His future in Pittsburgh remains uncertain, and even the Steelers brass doesn\u2019t know what to expect. But that doesn\u2019t mean they aren\u2019t prepared.<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-2\" class=\"data-event\">Recent reports around the league suggest that Rodgers\u2019 return for the 2026 season is far from guaranteed. Some people close to the four-time MVP reportedly believe the chances of another year are slim, leaving Pittsburgh in a holding pattern as it maps out the offseason. With Rodgers now 42 and coming off another long NFL campaign, the possibility of retirement remains very real.<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-3\" class=\"data-event\">Head coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged the uncertainty while speaking recently, making it clear the organization is planning for multiple outcomes. According to McCarthy, the team has kept communication open with Rodgers but understands the situation could go either way.<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-4\" class=\"data-event\">\u201cI think it\u2019s like all your experiences in life, they\u2019re assets,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oipXpyfuD4U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" data-utm_source=\"article\" data-utm_medium=\"content\" data-utm_campaign=\"link\">McCarthy explained<\/a>, emphasizing that communication between the two sides has been strong. \u201cWe\u2019ll see what the future holds, but we\u2019re definitely preparing for both scenarios.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-5\" class=\"data-event\">In other words, Pittsburgh is keeping the door open for Rodgers while also making sure it is not caught unprepared if he decides to step away. While his future in football might be uncertain, there\u2019s one thing that is absolutely certain: he\u2019s making the most of the off-season.<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-6\" class=\"data-event\">The veteran quarterback, known for his unconventional interests and reflective offseasons, has apparently been skiing. McCarthy admitted he did not even realize Rodgers was into it at first, but added that the quarterback is simply following his normal offseason routine.<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-7\" class=\"data-event\">The coach was careful not to dive too deeply into Rodgers\u2019 personal life but stressed that the veteran is doing what experienced players often do after a long season: stepping away for a bit and decompressing.<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-8\" class=\"data-event\">McCarthy noted that this type of reset is common for older players who have been in the league for many years. After the grind of an NFL season, taking time to mentally and physically recharge is part of the process before making decisions about the future. For Pittsburgh, that means patience.<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-9\" class=\"data-event\">Rodgers joined the Steelers on a one-year deal in 2025 after his difficult stint with the New York Jets. If he returns, the Steelers would have a ready-made answer at quarterback. If he does not, the franchise may have to pivot quickly in free agency or the draft.<\/p>\n<p data-type=\"content\" data-variant=\"p\" id=\"article-content-block-10\" class=\"data-event\">For now, Rodgers is skiing, relaxing, and taking time to think, while the Steelers quietly prepare for whatever decision comes next.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nobody knows what Aaron Rodgers is going to do next. Perhaps even Rodgers himself doesn\u2019t know. His future&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":494498,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,593,85],"class_list":["post-494497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=494497"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/494497\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/494498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=494497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=494497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=494497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}