Aaron Rodgers reiterated his plans to retire after the 2026 season over the weekend, saying that even a successful year in Pittsburgh would not change his mind.
“No, this is it,” Rodgers insisted (via NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt) when asked if he would consider playing a potential 22nd season in 2027.
In fact, the 42-year-old quarterback was close to retiring this year before the Steelers hired his longtime coach with the Packers, Mike McCarthy.
“I kind of had shut this door 99%, and then Mike got hired,” Rodgers said. “He put his foot in the door a little bit.”
At the time, the Steelers’ decision to replace Mike Tomlin with McCarthy (rather than a rising young coordinator) was seen, in part, as a move to get Rodgers back in Pittsburgh for another year. He later revealed that he recommended his former head coach to general manager Omar Khan, before he had even re-signed in Pittsburgh. Even after McCarthy’s hire was made official, the 21-year veteran still took a few months to agree to a contract, which was much more expensive than last year’s.
Rodgers has made similar remarks in the past only to return to the gridiron the following year, though perhaps not with this sense of finality. He seems to have a strong relationship with the Steelers organization, though, and being wishy-washy about his future could be a disservice to a franchise that needs to figure out their future under center. Pittsburgh has drafted quarterbacks in each of the last two years – Will Howard in 2025 and Drew Allar this year – but neither profiles as an obvious long-term starter in the NFL. The Steelers can work on developing them this year, but they may also consider investing in a talented 2027 draft class at the position knowing that Rodgers will not be around next year.
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