The Pittsburgh Steelers could be working under the assumption this spring, as they likely did last year, that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return. But that’s not exactly the message Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen conveyed during an appearance on NFL Network on Tuesday.
Although Queen spoke overwhelmingly positively about Rodgers and wanting him to return, he set the likelihood of the quarterback coming back at 50/50.
“He’s a great dude, he’s a great teammate. I like him personally,” Queen said on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Tuesday. “Is he gonna be back? I don’t know. That’s kind of a thing for [Rodgers] and the team to figure out.
“But hell, I’ll take him. Dude is a great teammate, he’s a great quarterback.”
“I can and can’t [imagine it], like it’s 50/50,” Queen added. “He’s older, he’s experienced a lot, he did a lot. He doesn’t really owe the game anything.
“But at the same time, I think the competitor in him definitely wants to get back out on the field, especially how last year ended.”
Rodgers led the Steelers to their first AFC North title in five years during the 2025 campaign. But the team also suffered a home blowout loss in the AFC wild card round to the Houston Texans.
It was the seventh consecutive playoff defeat for the Steelers.
Will Aaron Rodgers Return for Steelers in 2026 NFL Season?
GettyPittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen said during an appearance on NFL Network that it’s 50/50 whether Aaron Rodgers will be back in 2026.
Queen didn’t answer whether or not Rodgers will be back for a second season in Pittsburgh. But the linebacker left no doubt the team wants him to return.
General manager Omar Khan, head coach Mike McCarthy and team president Art Rooney II have been mostly clear about their desire to re-sign Rodgers. But whether the Steelers might be moving on behind center has been a debated point in some sects of the media.
Rodgers actually appeared to spark that debate himself when he told Pat McAfee on ESPN in early March that he hasn’t received a contract offer.
Queen can’t offer Rodgers the contract himself. But he wants his 2025 quarterback to return.
The linebacker appears focused on what he can do to give the future Hall of Fame signal-caller a better chance of winning more in Pittsburgh this fall.
“We all know him, we all love him. He knows how to win. We just gotta be better for him, get the ball back to him more times so we can have more chances to go down there and score,” said Queen.
NFL insiders have been mostly surprised Rodgers has remained unsigned this deep into the offseason. The early expectation was he would make a 2026 decision far earlier than last year.
Rodgers signed with the Steelers on June 5 last offseason.
Will Patrick Queen Be on the Steelers Roster in 2026?
GettyLinebacker Patrick Queen has murky future with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s ironic Queen was the Steelers starter who addressed Rodgers and his pending free agency decision. That’s because Queen doesn’t exactly have a firm future in Pittsburgh either.
In 2026, Queen is entering a contract season. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly wrote in early April that the team is unlikely to re-sign Queen to a new contract.
But it’s also not 100% clear the linebacker will be on the team in 2026. Pundits have suggested the Steelers could trade the veteran during the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Dallas Cowboys are a leading candidate to acquire Queen, especially if they don’t land a starting linebacker in the top 12 of the draft.
Queen didn’t address his future during his most recent media appearance. Based on his overwhelming positive comments about Rodgers and the Steelers, he appears set to return in Pittsburgh this fall.
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