Aaron Rodgers Nearing the End? Dan Marino Hopes Not
Aaron Rodgers has never been one to follow the script - and now, as he nears what could be the final chapter of his NFL career, he’s making it clear that when he walks away, he won’t be sticking around for the spotlight.
Back in June, during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers opened up about life after football, saying this season with the Pittsburgh Steelers could very well be his last. But it wasn’t just a retirement hint - it was a rare, candid look into a player who’s done chasing headlines.
“I didn’t need this. I didn’t need it all,” Rodgers said.
“I don’t feel the need to prove anything to anybody. I don’t have any chip on my shoulder that I need to hold on to.
I don’t want the attention. I know that’s a narrative out there.
When this is all done … you won’t see me. I won’t be in the public.”
That’s a stark contrast to the modern athlete who often transitions from the field to the studio or spotlight. Rodgers, now 42, sounds like a man ready to unplug - not just from the game, but from the public eye entirely.
Still, the question remains: is he truly ready to hang it up?
Rodgers is currently playing on a one-year deal with the Steelers, and while retirement talk has swirled, his arm certainly hasn’t lost its edge. Just ask the Baltimore Ravens defense. On Sunday, Rodgers uncorked a vintage 52-yard bomb to DK Metcalf - a reminder that even with a fractured left wrist, he can still deliver one of the prettiest deep balls in football.
That kind of throw doesn’t just happen. It’s instinct, timing, and elite arm talent - something Hall of Famer Dan Marino knows a thing or two about.
“I’ve met him a few times, but never really had dinner or other things,” Marino said in a recent interview. “We played golf one time years ago out in Lake Tahoe during the celebrity event.
Other than that, just some interviews I did with CBS. But he has been an incredible player.
He throws it as good as anybody ever has in the league, and hopefully he continues to play.”
That “hopefully” carries weight. Marino, who retired at 38, understands what it means to have the game still living in your heart even when the body starts to push back.
“Because it’s in your heart, it’s in your soul, your mind. You want to do it,” Marino said.
“He’s been doing it at a high level for a very long time. Hopefully, he can continue to do that.”
And Rodgers isn’t exactly out of place age-wise. Tom Brady played until 45.
And in a surprising twist this week, 44-year-old Philip Rivers signed with the Colts’ practice squad after nearly five years away from the game. That move alone means Rodgers is no longer the oldest player in the league - a rare title he briefly held.
But age is just a number when you can still throw it like Rodgers. Marino zeroed in on that, praising Rodgers’ arm strength, accuracy, and ability to create outside the pocket.
“His arm, his ability to make all the throws,” Marino said. “The velocity he has on the ball, the location, all those things.
Plus, he’s been a mobile quarterback. He makes things happen with his legs.
He’s a competitor.”
That competitive fire is what’s kept Rodgers relevant well into his 40s. Even as injuries have crept in - like the wrist fracture he’s currently managing - he’s still out there, still battling, still making plays that most quarterbacks wouldn’t even attempt.
“The big thing, we talk about all the quarterbacks, the ones current or past - you’ve got to have guys that want to compete and want to win in the worst way,” Marino added. “Big-time competitor, playing the way he’s played.
Like I said, his arm talent. The way he’s played the game in that position has been special.”
Whether this is truly Rodgers’ final season remains to be seen. He’s said what he’s said - and he’s never been one to speak lightly. But as long as he’s on the field, as long as he’s still dropping dimes like that 52-yarder to Metcalf, there’s always going to be a part of the football world that hopes he gives it one more go.
Because players like Aaron Rodgers don’t come around often. And when they do, you savor every snap.