Steelers Add Michael Pittman Jr While Aaron Rodgers Still Has No Offer, No Deadline

The Steelers have been busy building an offense that looks like it’s ready for a veteran quarterback. The only missing part is the veteran quarterback agreeing to show up.

Pittsburgh acquired wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. from the Indianapolis Colts in a trade that included a late-round pick swap, and the Steelers are expected to sign Pittman to a three year, $59 million contract. Pittman is 28 and is coming off a 2025 season with 80 receptions for 784 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns. He leaves Indianapolis with 485 catches, 5,254 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns in 95 games.

The move is one more step in a clear plan to upgrade the passing game under new head coach Mike McCarthy, but it also raises the most obvious question: who is throwing to Pittman and DK Metcalf?

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That’s where Aaron Rodgers remains the ongoing subplot. Rodgers, 42, is a free agent and said earlier this month that Pittsburgh has not given him a deadline or even a contract offer.

“There’s no contract offer or anything. So there’s nothing I’m having to debate between. I’m a free agent,” Rodgers said during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Rodgers also said he has spoken with McCarthy and Steelers general manager Omar Khan, but described the discussions as preliminary. Khan has publicly indicated the Steelers do not want to wait indefinitely for a decision, but Rodgers’ public stance has been consistent: there’s time, and there’s no paperwork in front of him yet.

Pittman’s arrival doesn’t resolve that uncertainty, but it does change the receiver room. Pittsburgh has been looking for a reliable No. 2 option behind Metcalf, and Pittman fits that on volume alone. The move also came as Indianapolis reshaped its own cap priorities. The Colts’ decision to move Pittman cleared more than $24 million in 2026 cap space, according to reporting tied to the trade.

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Pittman, introduced after arriving in Pittsburgh, addressed the Rodgers question in a way that sounded like a player who has lived through quarterback uncertainty before and isn’t interested in making it worse.

“Absolutely, I mean whenever you get a chance to play with a Hall of Fame quarterback, you always take that,” Pittman said. “I know Aaron previous to that. I haven’t reached out to him yet and I know he is still thinking about it, but we also have two really good quarterbacks here in Mason [Rudolph] and Will [Howard]. Whatever ends up turning out, I think we will have a really good plan offensively and we will make the most out of it.”

That line matters for two reasons. First, it confirms Rodgers is still “thinking about it,” which aligns with Rodgers’ own comments about having no deadline and no contract offer. Second, it frames the Steelers’ current quarterback room, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, as the fallback plan if Rodgers decides the offseason is more appealing than another season of AFC North Sundays.

The Steelers’ roster moves around Pittman also suggest they’re trying to become harder to play against regardless of quarterback. Pittsburgh agreed to add running back Rico Dowdle on a two-year, $12.25 million deal, a move that also reunites Dowdle with McCarthy after their time together in Dallas.

Meanwhile, the Rodgers timeline remains the story everyone keeps checking. Rodgers led Pittsburgh to an AFC North title and a playoff berth last season, then entered the offseason without committing to returning. The Steelers, for their part, have continued stacking pieces that look like a “win now” roster while keeping the quarterback door open.

For now, the Steelers have a new high-volume wide receiver, a veteran running back addition, and a coach who has already worked with Rodgers at the highest level. The only thing missing is the one thing Rodgers says he hasn’t seen yet: a contract offer.

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