Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers confirms suspicion about his future in the NFL beyond 2026 during OTAs in Pittsburgh
Aaron Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh, signed to a one year deal. But what does his future look like beyond 2026? He has an idea.
For the past two offseasons, a lot of the dialogue in Pittsburgh has been centered around if and when Aaron Rodgers will sign, or in the case of this year, return to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Well, we know that he’s back, evidenced by his agreeing to terms with the Steelers and showing up to OTAs this week, but the question then turned to his future. Rodgers seems to have made up his mind about that as well.
Aaron Rodgers 2025 stats
- 3.4 TD to INT ratio.
- 3,322 passing yards.
- 65.7% completion percentage.
Aaron Rodgers confirms 2026 will be his final year in the NFL
“Yes, this is it,” Rodgers told reporters during OTA session two in Pittsburgh when asked if the 2026 season would be his final in the NFL. It comes as little surprise for multiple reasons.
The foremost being that Rodgers will turn 43 years old in December, and is currently the oldest player in the league. But what he admitted about his future after the 2025 season was also telling. Rodgers told reporters that he thought he would call it a career after the 2025 season when Mike Tomlin stepped away.
It was the hiring of Mike McCarthy, a coach he spent 13 years with in Green Bay, that persuaded him to return. I think it’s safe to say that those two are picking up where they left off.
Aaron Rodgers getting back into Mike McCarthy’s scheme
“Yeah, I mean I’ve spent 13 years in it. He’s changed some stuff when he was in Dallas with Dak [Prescott]. I’ll battle on a couple things that I’ll be stubborn about, you know, terminology-wise. But, yeah, I think part of the process is just growing and me having to adjust some of the stuff that I’ve done or terminology I like,” Rodgers also told the media on Wednesday.”
“And so, it’s a fun learning experience right now. You know, there was a couple times today, he’s calling plays in the huddle, and I’m asking like, ‘Hey, what does this mean?’ You know, just because – it’s stuff that we used to run, but he’s just called it something different now. So, it’s a good part of the learning process.”
I never quarterbacked in the NFL, but I would imagine that getting back into a scheme and playbook that you knew like the back of your hand for nearly a decade and a half is like riding a bike.
At least, that’s what the Steelers are banking on.