Who Should I Start? Aaron Rodgers or Mac Jones

Friday, January 23, 4:36 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be a free agent in March, and the expectation is that he will not return to the Steel City after long-time head coach Mike Tomlin resigned after 19 seasons with the organization. However, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero believes that if Rodgers does decide to come back to play for a new Steelers head coach, it would be former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who is a native of Pittsburgh. The Steelers are open to the future Hall of Fame QB returning for another year in 2026, but they wouldn't be hiring McCarthy specifically to lure Rodgers back after he led the team to the postseason in 2025. Pittsburgh's ownership isn't interested in rebuilding, so hiring a veteran coach like McCarthy to lead a veteran roster would make a lot of sense. Retirement is very much on the table for Rodgers this offseason, but if the Steelers hire McCarthy as their next head coach, it could push the 42-year-old to return for one last rodeo.

Wednesday, January 21, 3:34 PM

Both San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch seem intent on keeping quarterback Mac Jones around going into next season as the backup for Brock Purdy, according to Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group. "We're not into getting rid of good players. I'd be surprised if he's not here next year," Shanahan said. "Mac made this place better and picked us up in a huge way ... Can't say enough about his play but also his leadership," Lynch said. The 27-year-old kept the 49ers afloat in 2025 with Purdy missing a chunk of time due to a turf-toe injury. He was in the first year of a two-year, $8.4 million contract, and all signs point to Jones returning in 2026 as one of the better backup QBs in the league. As a starter for the Niners this year, Jones went 5-3 while completing 69.6% of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions.