Draft week began with the Steelers throwing Iron City beer on one of the most intriguing rumors that had been making the rounds.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, as the rumor goes (or went), will make an appearance on the draft stage in Pittsburgh to announce that he'll be back for another year.

Now, the official word (from NFL Network) is that the Steelers haven't heard from Rodgers as to whether he plans to play in 2026, and that the Steelers do not expect a decision from Rodgers before the curtain rises on round one.

That's a dramatic change from what owner Art Rooney II said last month in Arizona: "I expect we’ll get an answer before the draft."

Unless it's part of the setup, the nugget is likely aimed at avoiding disappointment from Steelers fans expecting the draft to include a WWE-style sprint to the stage by Rodgers.

That said, it would be the perfect time for Rodgers to announce his intention to return. Plenty of Steelers fans remain leery about a sequel. What better way to get them on board than to fold the Rodgers announcement into the natural excitement of hosting the draft for the first time ever?

Instead, the Steelers will continue to proceed with Will Howard, Mason Rudolph, and whoever else they add to the roster through the draft, undrafted free agency, veteran free agency, and/or a trade.

This isn't how it was supposed to go. Resolution was supposed to happen more quickly than it did in 2025.

"I think neither side wants to have this drag on like it did last year," G.M. Omar Khan said in February.

No one wanted it to drag on. But drag on it is. And it will keep on dragging, largely because Aaron Rodgers is either naturally enigmatic or likes to be perceived that way.