The Pittsburgh Steelers have a new head coach this season in Mike McCarthy, but McCarthy is dealing with the same looming question that Mike Tomlin dealt with before him: Who is the best choice to be the starting quarterback?
McCarthy has made it clear that he would love for Aaron Rodgers to return after leading the franchise to a Super Bowl title last season. However, the four-time league MVP is contemplating retirement, and reportedly won’t be making a final decision on whether to return ahead of Thursday’s NFL draft.
“The #Steelers have not received word from Aaron Rodgers on his future and there is no expectation of a final decision prior to the NFL Draft, per me and @TomPelissero . When minicamp begins today under new coach Mike McCarthy, Will Howard will be QB1,” Ian Rapoport reported on Monday.
The #Steelers have not received word from Aaron Rodgers on his future and there is no expectation of a final decision prior to the NFL Draft, per me and @TomPelissero.
When minicamp begins today under new coach Mike McCarthy, Will Howard will be QB1. pic.twitter.com/niphLVfT3w
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 20, 2026
Rodgers wife, who has yet to be publicly identified, is sure to be a large part of his calculus on what to do next. Two of his exes, however, have spoken out about the former Super Bowl champion, and don’t figure to be a part of his decision at all.
“People could never imagine that I would lack … any confidence or belief in the simple things about who I am,” Danica Patrick said. “Everything was torn to bits,” Patrick said to Sage Steele in 2025, via The Spun. “Yeah, he leaves a trail of blood. I don’t think I’m saying too much earth-shattering stuff after we — there’s been enough out there.”
She also admitted to overlooking some red flags.
“Hindsight, I ignored it, but in real life, it was just like I just feel like — I would say all the time, ‘I’m built for hard things. I can handle hard things.’ And so I just saw it as a hard thing,” she admitted.
Actress Olivia Munn didn’t appreciate how she was portrayed in his his documentary, “Enigma,” on Netflix.
“There was this narrative that took hold because, if you remember back in the day, Jessica Simpson was hung out to dry for the Cowboys failures [when she dated Tony Romo],” Munn said, via Us Weekly. “During the time that I was with him, he had three Hail Marys, I think two NFC championships, not wins, but he made it into the NFC championship, which is very hard. No one would want to talk about that. I didn’t get credit for any of the wins.”
It’s not shocking why Rodgers is so eager to keep his personal life private these days.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.