The Steelers are awaiting Rodgers’ decision as Pittman settles in Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers’ decision for the 2026 NFL season – will he play, or will retirement finally cost the four-time MVP?

The Steelers and head coach Mike McCarthy, his longtime leader from their time with the Green Bay Packers, continue to wait patiently, and so does one of the newest in the building: wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

“I hope he’s around,” Pittman told Fox News Digital during a recent interview ahead of his time in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh and Toyota.

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Pittman arrived in Pittsburgh earlier this offseason after the Indianapolis Colts reached a trade with the Steelers to send the seven-year receiver east. As he continues to get used to it, Pittman is already hearing the question: Is Rodgers coming back?

“I don’t know anything – people think we know something. Why is Aaron telling me something?” he said with a laugh.

Pittman said he’s “not too worried about it” from a personal standpoint, as his time in Indianapolis was filled with quarterback turnover. Throughout his time with the Colts, Pittman played for 10 different quarterbacks, including Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, and Daniel Jones this past season.

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It got so bad in 2025 following an injury to Jones that he was paired with Rivers, who was signed in hopes of helping salvage the season.

Aaron Rodgers (8) of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches the national anthem before the NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium on Jan. 04, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

But while some of those guys may be headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day, there’s no doubting Rodgers’ hopes for Canton and what he brings to the team even after he turns 43 in December.

“Obviously, Aaron is a great player — look at everything he’s done,” Pittman added. “We’d love to have him back. At the end of the day, he’s got to make that decision.”

Rodgers may not be available for the start of the Steelers’ voluntary offseason, but he is working to stay in shape for the new season if he decides to return. But there has been radio silence between the two sides, according to NFL Network, and nothing is expected to be heard from him before the first round of the draft begins Thursday night.

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While Pittman, the Steelers and the rest of the NFL wait to hear from Rodgers, Will Howard, the team’s sixth-round pick in last year’s draft, is expected to be the starting quarterback on McCarthy’s voluntary practice squad.

In the meantime, Pittman will continue to enjoy the sports-crazed city he now calls home.

“Being in Pittsburgh, the vibe is driving, everyone is wearing something sports. It could be the Steelers, the Pirates or the Penguins,” Pittman explained. “One is wearing black and gold, which I think is amazing. They love their football there. I mean, Indy loves football, too. I’m not taking anything away from Indy fans, but it’s just Pittsburgh – everybody knows Pittsburgh for being Pittsburgh. The Steelers, the fans. The town is set on these rivers. The stadium sits on top of it. The stadium is amazing. And there’s the opposite of that, and there’s the opposite of that, the scene. I can play for them.”

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. (11) watched during the NFL football game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 2, 2025 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire)

FOLLOWING LOCAL FLAG FOOTBALL THROUGH TOYOTA

Pittman is always looking to make an impact in his community, especially being in a new city. Following his role as coach during the Toyota Glow Up Classic during Super Bowl week in San Francisco, Pittman is back with the automaker for a special NFL Draft flag football training camp featuring high school girls flag players in Pittsburgh on the eve of draft night.

Pittman, along with other NFL Draft prospects and members of the American Women’s Flag Football team, will be donning her coach’s hat to help coordinate the training, while also providing instruction and guidance to those participating girls.

And even better, selected participants will be chosen to walk the NFL Draft Red Carpet, as they get to experience and see some of the best young players in football fulfill their dream, like Pittman, of hearing their names called in the NFL Draft.

Young players participate in the Toyota Glow-Up Classic, a glow-in-the-dark flag football show, at the Super Bowl Experience in San Francisco on Feb. 4, 2026. Toyota offers grants to each young player for their flag football future. (Jeff Lewis/AP Content Services for Toyota Motor North America)

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With new national data from Campus Multimedia and YouGov finding that 70% of youth (12-17) want brands that support the school community, this is just another example of how Toyota is making an impact in communities across the country. As an official sports partner of the NFL FLAG league, which has helped grow the game by reaching more than 300,000 youth players across the country with more than $3 million in support, Toyota also purchases all NFL FLAG registration fees for the kits of current players in the Pittsburgh Flag Football League (PFFL) comprised of high school youth and girls.

“Our main message to these girls is to capture their light, and I just know it’s all theirs,” Pittman said. “We’re just there to push them up and even then we can beat them and just lift them up and let them know that we’re here to support the girls’ flag and we want to make it a popular game.”

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