Aaron Rodgers is calling it a career. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback announced at Wednesday's organized team activities that the 2026 season will be his last in the NFL.
"Yes. This is it," Rodgers said, via ESPN, when asked if 2026 would be his last NFL season.
Career Achievements
Rodgers will go down as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He holds the sport's all-time leader in touchdown-to-interception ratio (4.3, 527-123) and passer rating (102.2).
He enters 2026 as fourth all time in passing touchdowns with 527. Rodgers' four NFL MVPs are the second-most in league history behind only Peyton Manning's five.
He earned both a Super Bowl ring and Super Bowl MVP by winning Super XLV for the Green Bay Packers in a triumphant effort against the Steelers.
Reason for Retirement
Rodgers acknowledged his diminishing abilities. One of his top strengths throughout his Hall of Fame career is his ability to scramble and create throwing lanes. However, with limited mobility in his 40s, that magic has slipped away.
On third downs in 2025, Rodgers surrendered a sack rate of 10.7%, the 10th-highest in the entire NFL.
2025 Playoff Performance
The decline was most apparent in his last played game. In the 2025 AFC wild card round, the Steelers suffered a 30-6 home loss against the Houston Texans.
Against the Texans' dominant pass-rush duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, Rodgers took four sacks, tossed an interception and fumbled twice, resulting in a turnover.
When he turns 43 on Dec. 2, he'll become the sixth quarterback in NFL history to start a game at the age of 43 or older.
Reunion with Mike McCarthy
Rodgers chose to return to football and the Steelers in 2026 to finish his career with new Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy, his former coach of 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers (2006-2018).
Their reunion marks the first quarterback-head coach duo to win a Super Bowl together before joining forces again on a new team.
"I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh. But when the decision was made to hire Mike, I started opening my mind back up to coming back," Rodgers said, via ESPN. "There is a full aspect circle that piqued my interest of coming back."