Aaron Rodgers' future is once again the talk of the offseason - and this time, it feels different. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Rodgers is currently not expected to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers next season, especially in the wake of the team parting ways with longtime head coach Mike Tomlin. That decision, seismic in its own right, may have also closed the door on Rodgers’ brief but eventful run in the black and gold.
The 42-year-old quarterback wrapped up his season - and possibly his storied career - with a tough Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans, throwing for just 146 yards, the lowest postseason total of his career. It was a quiet ending to a season that had its share of highs and lows, and it’s added fuel to the speculation that this might be Rodgers’ final chapter in the NFL.
For weeks, the whispers have been growing louder: that this season would likely be Rodgers’ swan song. And while the Steelers reportedly wouldn’t shut the door on a reunion if he wanted to run it back, the overall tone around the veteran suggests retirement is very much on the table.
After the playoff exit, Rodgers didn’t sound like a man ready to make a hasty decision - but he also didn’t sound like someone itching for another go-around.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said after the game. “Disappointed obviously.
Such a fun year. A lot of adversity but a lot of fun.
Been a great year overall in my life in the last year, and this is a really good part of that, coming here and being a part of this team. So, it’s disappointing to be sitting here with the season over.”
It’s the kind of measured reflection you’d expect from a player who’s been through it all. And yet, it’s hard to ignore what ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters shared back in Week 15 - that Rodgers told the Monday Night Football production crew he was “probably retiring.”
Rodgers’ journey to Pittsburgh was anything but straightforward. A former first-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2005, Rodgers signed a massive four-year, $134 million extension in 2018, with over $100 million guaranteed. He followed that up with a three-year, $150 million extension in 2022, keeping him among the league’s highest-paid players.
Then came the trade to New York. After years of drama in Green Bay, the Packers dealt Rodgers to the Jets in a blockbuster move that included a second-round pick in 2023 and a conditional 2024 second-rounder that could escalate to a first.
But his time in New York was over almost before it began - just four snaps into the 2023 season, Rodgers tore his Achilles. He returned in 2024, but the Jets released him with a post-June 1 designation after the season.
That’s when Pittsburgh stepped in, signing Rodgers to a one-year deal for the 2025 season. And while the Steelers didn’t make a deep playoff run, Rodgers showed he could still play at a high level.
He started all 16 games, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions. Efficient, smart, and still capable of delivering vintage moments - it was a season that reminded fans why Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer.
But now, the big question looms: Is this it?
Rodgers has always marched to the beat of his own drum, and any decision - whether to retire or suit up for one more run - will be made on his own terms. The Steelers, meanwhile, are entering a new era without Mike Tomlin, and potentially without the quarterback who brought veteran leadership and poise to their huddle in 2025.
If this is the end, Rodgers walks away as one of the most gifted passers the game has ever seen. If not, well, the league may get one more season of magic from No.
- Either way, the NFL world will be watching - as it always has when Aaron Rodgers is involved.