Reunited with Mike McCarthy for a final Super Bowl push, the legendary signal-caller aims to cement his historic legacy and record-breaking efficiency before hanging up his cleats.
The final chapter has finally arrived for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers announced on Wednesday afternoon that the 2026 season will be his final NFL year. He noted that following the Steelers' split with former head coach Mike Tomlin, he had considered calling it quits. But the team's pursuit and hiring of former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy persuaded him to give it one more go this year.
For more on Rodgers' announcement and what it means for him and the Steelers, Steelers Roundtable writer Ashish Mathur has the latest.
The four-time AP MVP will kick off his 22nd NFL season against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, September 13 in the hopes of returning to the postseason and extending his swan song year in the process.
Rodgers currently sits No. 5 on the all-time passing yards list with 66,274 passing yards. Ahead of him, another former Packer, Brett Favre, has 71,838. The more than 5, 500-yard difference won't likely be made up during Rodgers' age 43 season, but he has a chance to at least inch closer and create distance between the No. 6 player on the list, still-active Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (64,516).
The Steelers' signal caller still paces the league with the lowest career interception rate (1.4%) and highest career passer rating (102.2) for a quarterback in the history of the NFL.
He'll have a chance to maintain that record-setting efficiency over his final 17 games. He could also have a strong enough performance to earn an 11th Pro Bowl nod or fifth First-Team All-Pro nod, but his 10 and four career counts, respectively, show adequately represent his presence as one of the best quarterbacks to take the field.
Rodgers hasn't been without his drama and off-field attention, but as he wraps up a stellar playing career, the on-field product is one he'll have one last chance to solidify as one among the greats.
