With the NFL in the midst of the offseason, Aaron Rodgers is once again leading the headlines. This time, however, the veteran quarterback is splitting media speculation between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.
Over the last week, Rodgers and the Cardinals have been linked together across the media. Meanwhile, the relationship between him and the Steelers has reportedly cooled, especially with no clear answer on whether he plans to return for another season.
Even though Rodgers has stayed mostly radio silent this offseason, the Steelers recently placed the rare right-of-first refusal tender on him—a move that may not have sat well with the 42-year-old.
Since then, Arizona has surprisingly emerged as another possible landing spot. But is there anything real behind it?
Cardinals Rumors Around Aaron Rodgers Quickly Shot Down
ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss, who covers the Cardinals, reached out to sources in an attempt to get clarity on the situation. For now, the rumor appears to be nothing more than noise.
“I asked a source today if all the noise about Aaron Rodgers going to the Cardinals was real? ‘Not at all’ was the response. So, there’s that,” Weinfuss posted on X.
It wasn’t hard to see why the speculation gained traction.
Between Rodgers’ silence and Arizona’s need for a steady presence at quarterback, the dots were easy to connect—even if some of them felt a bit ironic.
“The idea of Aaron Rodgers joining the Cardinals — where he’d immediately encounter a rookie QB waiting to take his job, a coach named LaFleur and a rookie named J. Love — is almost too good to pass up,” AZ Sports’ Luke Lapinski posted.
Rodgers would also reunite with former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who now holds the same role in Arizona.
To add to the buzz, Cardinals wide receiver Kendrick Bourne even took to X to publicly recruit Rodgers.
“Come on we waiting on you,” Bourne posted while tagging Rodgers.
Cardinals Staying Focused As Rodgers Decision Looms
New Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur was asked directly about the Rodgers rumors on May 5 during The Jim Rome Show. His response made it clear where the organization stands.
“You know, Jim, honestly right now, we’re focused on the guys we got coming in,” LaFleur said. “You got the unit that we have with Gardner [Minshew] and Jacoby [Brissett] and Kedon Slovis and Carson Beck in the third round.”
Still, that quarterback room comes with its own questions.
Gardner Minshew was just signed this offseason. Jacoby Brissett had a solid year filling in for an injured Kyler Murray, but is now reportedly seeking starter-level money. Kedon Slovis spent time on the practice squad last season.
As for Carson Beck, there is optimism that the third-round pick could emerge as one of the more underrated selections of the 2026 draft, with some even viewing him as a potential Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
For now, though, Arizona appears content with its current group.
As for Rodgers, the situation continues to narrow.
At this point, it looks like his decision will come down to either returning to Pittsburgh—or walking away from the game altogether.
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