Aaron Rodgers says he is done after this year. The Steelers quarterback signed a one year deal worth up to $25 million to come back for what he is calling his final NFL season. When asked if this would be it, Rodgers said, “This is it.”
Believe him this time. Probably.
Rodgers has flirted with retirement before. He said in June 2024 he was “pretty sure” 2025 would be his final crusade. Then he kept playing. Then he signed with the Steelers. Now he says this is really the last one. We have heard this before from Tom Brady. We have heard this from Drew Brees. Eventually they actually walk away. Rodgers seems ready to be that guy.
The McCarthy reunion is the reason he came back. Mike McCarthy coached Rodgers for 13 years in Green Bay. They won a Super Bowl together. They had ups and downs but they always understood each other. When Mike Tomlin moved on from Pittsburgh and McCarthy got the job, Rodgers reportedly reconsidered the idea of retiring. The chance to play one more season under his old coach was too good to pass up.
The Steelers are getting a 43 year old quarterback who is the oldest player in the NFL this year. He is also the only quarterback on the roster who has won a Super Bowl. He has played in every kind of big game. He has won an MVP four times. He still has the arm. The question has always been whether the body can stay healthy for 17 games.
That is a real concern. Rodgers’ last few seasons have been disrupted by injury. He tore his Achilles four snaps into his Jets career. He came back to play a decent year with the Jets in 2024 but the team was a mess. The Steelers offered him a stable organization, a coach he trusts, and a roster that could win a few games. He took the deal.
Now the question is whether he can give the Steelers anything close to the quarterback who won that MVP in 2021. The flashes of brilliance are still there. The bad habits are also there. He holds the ball too long. He forces throws to receivers he trusts and ignores guys he does not. He gets frustrated quickly when an offense is not in rhythm. Those things do not get better at age 43.
The Steelers as a whole are in an interesting spot. The defense is still strong. T.J. Watt is still T.J. Watt. The secondary has talent. The offense is built around DK Metcalf, George Pickens, and a running game that should be solid. Russell Wilson is gone. Justin Fields is gone. This is Rodgers’ team. He plays well, the Steelers contend for a wild card spot. He plays poorly, they could be a 6-11 team.
The bigger story is what happens to the Steelers after this season. They are going to need a real quarterback solution. Rodgers will be gone. The 2027 draft has some intriguing quarterback prospects. The Steelers could be in position to take one. That makes 2026 a bridge year for Pittsburgh whether they admit it or not.
For Rodgers, this is the legacy season. He is chasing one more Super Bowl. He probably will not get it. The Steelers are not a championship roster. But he gets to go out his way. He gets to play for the coach who knew him best. He gets paid $25 million to do it. And then he gets to walk away.
Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Four MVPs. A Super Bowl. 22 years in the league. Whatever else you think of Aaron Rodgers, he is one of the great quarterbacks of his generation.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
