Despite playing only one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aaron Rodgers has already had a great impact on his teammates. While defensive tackle Cam Heyward plays in a different unit, even he has developed a good friendship with Rodgers. Although there is uncertainty about Rodgers’ potential return to the Steelers, Heyward’s hope is that his birthday wish could help the four-time MVP return to Pittsburgh.

“Aaron Rodgers signing but would be a heck of a present,” wrote Heyward on Instagram Stories.

Cam Heyward turned 37 on Wednesday. His birthday wish certainly resonated with many Steelers fans, who would also hope the veteran QB returns to the Steelers uniform. Selected as the 31st overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Heyward has been part of the Steelers setup for 15 seasons now.

As their lead QB, Rodgers had 3,322 passing yards and 24 touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. So, in terms of performance, there was no issue as Rodgers led the Steelers to win the 2025 AFC North Division title. This indicates why Heyward has been advocating strongly for the four-time MVP’s return.

“He’s worn the black and gold,” said Heyward last month. “Just return, baby. That’s all we need. I think he had a fun time being a part of this crew. And we really enjoyed his company, but I’d like to be able to run it

back with him… I think everybody is all in on him. From what we got to see this season, we were pleasantly surprised by how great he was.”

 

Heyward also saw the funny side of why Rodgers was taking so long to make the decision.

“He might be on a darkness retreat,” Heyward said on the Not Just Football with Cam Heyward podcast. “He might be shooting season two of Enigma. Or he might just be getting ready for Jeopardy. My guy can do a lot of different things, but he’ll be ready for the season hopefully.”

However, according to former Steelers star Charlie Batch, the 42-year-old has deliberately opted to delay the contract extension as part of a plan.

“If I had to lean on it, I would probably say, ‘Wait and see, I’m not gonna give you an answer today. But wait and see.’ People, wait and see,” said Batch on The Snap Count Show. “Right now, people have not given us our credit Trai! They have not! But because now people nationally are talking about it, all I’m gonna say is, ‘It’s about the money.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed an unrestricted free agent (UFA) tender on the veteran QB. With this, the Steelers ensured their eligibility for a 2027 compensatory draft pick if Rodgers signs with another team before July 22. Meanwhile, if Rodgers signed the tender directly, he would receive a 10% raise over his 2025 salary ($13.65 million), totaling roughly $15 million for the 2026 season.

Amid this saga, several other franchises were linked to Rodgers, but it seems the 42-year-old may have made steps toward deciding his future.

Aaron Rodgers reportedly set to visit the Steelers

Apart from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Aaron Rodgers was linked to potentially sign for the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals emerged as a possible landing spot due to the hiring of Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator, who is a known close friend of Rodgers.

However, NFL insider Ian Rapoport quickly stepped in to shut down the speculations.

“Certainly don’t expect it. Sorry to disappoint everyone. Don’t expect that,” said Rapoport on The Pat McAfee Show. “Do I expect him to sign in Arizona? I expect if he is going to play, to play for Pittsburgh. And you know, you’re sort of getting to that point where you’d really like an answer, but we’re in the same situation we’ve been, which is that, like, it’s Aaron Rodgers.

Just a few days later, Rapoport confirmed some good news for the Steelers fans.

“FA QB Aaron Rodgers, who is expected to visit the Steelers Friday and this weekend, will likely play for them in 2026, sources say,” wrote Rapoport on X. “A deal is not done & there is always caution until things are signed. But Rodgers’ plan is to play for PIT & these are steps toward that end.”

The Steelers’ think-tank has frequently voiced its wish to continue with Aaron Rodgers. Mike McCarthy, who coached Rodgers from 2006 to 2018, said it would be great to reunite with the veteran QB under the Steelers banner. While there is no conclusion to the saga yet, it will be interesting to see how things pan out in the coming weeks

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