(Photo credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images)

There will be a welcoming party in the Pittsburgh locker room if Aaron Rodgers decides to return for his 22nd season in 2026, ESPN reported.

'Most if not all' of the Steelers players are open to the four-time MVP quarterback's return and conveyed that sentiment to team brass during last week's exit meetings, per the report.

Rodgers played the 2025 season on a one-year, $13.65 million deal. Returning for 2026 reportedly seems 'unlikely,' however, following longtime head coach Mike Tomlin's resignation.

Rodgers, 42, has said he wants to take time away to think before deciding whether to keep playing and where. He still has tread on the tires if he chooses not to retire, evidenced by posting his 15th season with at least 3,000 yards and 20 touchdown passes for the AFC North champs in 2025.

'I've enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on and off the field,' Rodgers said earlier this month, before Tomlin moved on after 19 seasons and a 193-114-2 record.

'And it's really what I was hoping for this experience was. It's been even better than I was hoping.'

Pittsburgh's choice to replace Tomlin will no doubt go a long way toward influencing Rodgers' ultimate decision.

Rodgers ranks fourth in NFL history in passing touchdowns (527) and fifth in passing yards (66,274). His career passer rating of 102.2 ranks No. 1 all-time as does his 1.4% interception percentage.

The 10-time Pro Bowl selection won Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers after the 2010 season. He owns a 163-93-1 record as a starter in the regular season with the Packers (2005-22), New York Jets (2023-24) and Steelers but is just 11-11 in the postseason after Monday night's wild-card loss to the Houston Texans.

--Field Level Media