“A lot of conversations with Mike and (general manager) Omar (Khan) for a while and, you know, I just had a lot of conversations with my wife about it,” he said. “After the draft, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to play, I wanted to come back.”
Rodgers spent his first 18 years in Green Bay, 13 of which came under McCarthy’s leadership. After two forgettable years in New York with the Jets, he had an up-and-down first campaign in Pittsburgh last year, throwing for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in a restricted offense. The Steelers upgraded their weaponry this offseason, trading for wide receiver Michael Pittman and drafting Germie Bernard in the second round. Those additions should make Rodgers’ life easier.
Reuniting with McCarthy went a long way in Rodgers’ decision to play in 2026. The veteran noted that his familiarity with the basics of the offense will ease any transition, but added that there are still new aspects to learn.
“I spent 13 years in [McCarthy’s offense],” he said. “He’s changed some stuff when he was in Dallas with Dak (Prescott). I’ll battle on a couple of things that I’ll be stubborn about, terminology-wise. I think part of the process is just growing. Me having to adjust some of the things I’ve done or the terminology I like. It’s a fun learning experience right now.”
Bookending his 22-year run under the same coach who helped usher in his HOF career appealed to Rodgers.
“There’s definitely a full-circle aspect to it that piqued my interest from the start,” he said.
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