NFL news: Mike Tomlin predicts Aaron Rodgers will return to Steelers

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin got his feet wet in the NFL media realm and made a bold prediction about Aaron Rodgers’ future in the league.

Rodgers remains a free agent as he weighs whether to walk away from a 21-year career. The Steelers may be the most attractive destination for the four-time NFL MVP as the team hired Mike McCarthy to replace Tomlin, following the latter’s abrupt decision to step down.

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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks to complete a pass during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Oct. 12, 2025. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)

Tomlin joined NBC Sports as an analyst for the 2026 season and said in his debut that he believed Rodgers would end up back in Pittsburgh.

“I just think being around him for the 12 months that I’m around him, he got a love affair with the game of football,” he said, via Pro Football Talk. “And not only the game, but the process. The informal moments, the development of younger guys, the interaction with teammates.

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stands on the sidelines before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 12, 2026. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)

“I think he has an addiction to that. And there’s only one way to feed it, and certainly, he is still capable and in really good shape, and so I think at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”

Rodgers, presumably, would walk back onto the roster as the Week 1 starter barring an injury. The team only has Mason Rudolph and Will Howard on the depth chart and selected Drew Allar in the draft.

He played in 16 games for the Steelers in 2025, helping the team to an AFC North win and a playoff berth. He had 3,322 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes. However, they are some of his lowest totals when he plays at least 15 games in a season.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on after being sacked during the first half of the NFL Wild Card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 12, 2026. (Michael Longo/For USA Today Network-PA / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Rodgers will turn 43 by the end of the year. He hasn’t said one way or the other whether he will return.