The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have officially reunited for another season, and the buzz is big around the NFL about what the veteran will do in his final season in the league.
While some question what a 42-year-old quarterback will be able to do competing against players half his age, others understand that Rodgers brings a wisdom to the sport that the newbies just don’t have.
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports sees the possibility in Rodgers being paired with wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. for the 2026 season. In a piece out on Thursday, he ranks the Rodgers-Pittman combo the ninth best in the NFL ahead of 2026.
Aaron Rodgers and Michael Pittman Jr. make best QB-WR duos tally
“Aaron Rodgers sorely needed wide receiver help in 2025,” he notes in the piece. “Outside of two-time Pro Bowler DK Metcalf‘s 850 receiving yards, the rest of Pittsburgh’s receivers combined to produce 866 yards receiving. How sorely did Rodgers lack an underneath threat to complement Metcalf’s downfield abilities?”
That’s where Pittman comes in. Podell notes that the wideout “player who makes a living over the middle and running routes in the short and intermediate parts of the football field,” which is good news for Rodgers.
“Pittman Jr. will provide Rodgers the reliability he needs in tandem with Metcalf’s big-play ability to form a much more efficient Steelers offense in 2026,” he states.
Rodgers wouldn’t have come back to the Steelers if he didn’t think this franchise had a chance to go all the way. That chance is a lot better with Pittman in the fold.