The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to win the AFC North last season on the back of a resurgent year from four-time NFL MVP and former Super Bowl champion Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately for the Steelers, the season ended with another playoff failure, extending the franchise’s drought of playoff wins to a full decade.
Mike Tomlin stepped down as the team’s head coach after 19 seasons following Pittsburgh’s Wild Card round loss, and the team hired Rodgers former head coach, Mike McCarthy, as his replacement.
Now, Rodgers faces a decision on whether to return to the Steelers, retire, or sign with the Steelers. Retirement or a return to Pittsburgh are the most likely options. Unfortunately for Rodgers, there was speculation that one of his favorite teammates in the offensive backfield would leave the city in free agency.
That outcome has now been confirmed.
The #Bucs are signing former #Steelers RB Kenneth Gainwell to a 2-year, $14M deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2026
Rodgers had nothing but the highest praise for Gainwell during the season.
“Just fun to watch. I can’t tell you exactly what I call him every week because there’s some expletives in there, but I love playing with him. I really do. He’s as smart as they come. He’s super smart, and I still cannot believe what we got him for,” Rodgers said during the season, per Yahoo Sports.
“I told him a long time ago that my goal was to get him paid because I’ve been a fan of his since he was in Philly and I thought every time he went in the game something good happens. So just to be able to play with him, the type of guy he is, man, I can’t say enough good things about Kenny. Every single game it seems like he comes up with impactful plays and makes guys miss, catches the ball.
“I was telling – who was I telling? I think Marquez [Marquez Valdes Scantling] on the sideline. One of the most impressive things is to watch us on Friday’s practice just do pat-and-go drill, which is just an over-the-shoulder drill. He’s as fluid as anybody on the team catching the football. For a guy that’s making damn near vet minimum, he’s been a tremendous asset to our team this year.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the loss of Gainwell impacts a Rodgers return to the Steel City.
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.