Steelers’ Coaching Move Could Complicate Any Aaron Rodgers Reunion
When the Pittsburgh Steelers brought in Mike McCarthy as their new head coach, it didn’t take long for fans to start connecting the dots. McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers, once partners in Green Bay, had a complicated but successful history - and with Pittsburgh still lacking a clear long-term answer at quarterback, the idea of a Rodgers return for one more run suddenly felt plausible.
Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers back in June 2025 and led the team to a 10-7 finish, going 10-6 as a starter while missing one game due to injury. The season ended on a sour note - a lopsided 30-6 playoff loss to the Houston Texans - but Rodgers still gave the Steelers a level of quarterback play they haven’t seen in years. With no obvious successor waiting in the wings, a second act in black and gold didn’t seem out of the question.
That possibility may have just taken a hit.
On Monday, reports surfaced that McCarthy is adding Frank Cignetti Jr. to his offensive staff. For those who follow the league closely, that name might ring a bell - and not necessarily in a good way, especially when it comes to Rodgers.
Cignetti and Rodgers have a bit of history. Back in 2018, when McCarthy was still coaching the Packers, he made a move that reportedly infuriated Rodgers: letting quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt walk and replacing him with Cignetti.
According to resurfaced reports from that time, Rodgers was so upset with the change that he barely communicated directly with Cignetti. One account even claims that backup quarterback Tim Boyle had to serve as a go-between, relaying messages between the two.
Cignetti’s tenure in Green Bay didn’t last long - just one season. After McCarthy was fired late in 2018, the Packers cleaned house, and new head coach Matt LaFleur brought in his own staff. Since then, Cignetti’s coaching journey has taken him through the college ranks, including stints at Pitt and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), before this latest NFL opportunity in Pittsburgh.
Now, with Cignetti joining McCarthy’s staff, it raises a big question: does this effectively close the door on a Rodgers return?
To be clear, Rodgers hasn’t publicly commented on the hire, and it’s possible that any past tension with Cignetti is water under the bridge. But if those old reports are accurate - and if Rodgers still feels strongly about how that 2018 situation played out - this move could be a dealbreaker.
It’s also worth noting that Rodgers isn’t the same player he was during his MVP campaigns. He’ll turn 43 during the 2026 season, and his numbers last year reflected the wear and tear.
He ranked near the bottom of the league in average depth of target and air yards per completion - a far cry from the deep-ball maestro we saw in earlier years. The arm talent is still there in flashes, but the consistency and explosiveness just haven’t been the same.
That said, Rodgers still brought a level of poise and control to the Steelers’ offense that few quarterbacks could replicate. His experience, football IQ, and ability to diagnose defenses pre-snap were invaluable, especially for a team in transition.
If Pittsburgh was hoping to get one more year out of him while continuing the search for their next franchise QB, the McCarthy hire made sense. But the addition of Cignetti?
That might be the wrinkle that changes everything.
There’s also a segment of the Steelers fanbase that isn’t exactly clamoring for a Rodgers encore. Whether it’s his age, the declining production, or the drama that sometimes seems to follow him, some feel it’s time for Pittsburgh to look ahead, not backward.
Still, the potential for a Rodgers-McCarthy reunion - one last ride for a duo that once brought a Lombardi Trophy to Green Bay - had a certain allure. But if the Steelers were hoping to keep that door open, they may have just made it a whole lot harder to walk through.