Rodgers faces a career crossroads after the Steelers' playoff exit, grappling with retirement versus a historic 22nd season.
The question had been asked of Aaron Rodgers since the beginning of training camp and throughout the regular season. Yet when the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season ended with a thud on Monday night, the 42-year-old still didn’t have an answer.
Will Rodgers return for his 22nd season in 2026 or retire and end a career worthy of first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame?
“I'm not going to make any emotional decisions. I'm disappointed,” Rodgers said after the Steelers lost to the Houston Texans 30-6 in an AFC Wild Card playoff game at Acrisure Stadium. “Obviously, it was such a fun year. A lot of adversity, but a lot of fun. Been a great year overall in my life the last year, and this is a really good part of that, coming here and being part of this team, so it's disappointing to be sitting here with the season over.”
Rodgers signed as a free agent over the summer after spending two seasons with the New York Jets. Rodgers began his career with the Green Bay Packers and won four NFL MVP awards and a Super Bowl during his 18-year tenure.
Rodgers gave short answers about retirement.
“I’m not going to talk about that,” he said when asked if he would play with the Steelers next season if he does not retire.
Asked how he approaches what’s next, Rodgers said, “You just get away and then have the right conversations.”
He also brushed off whether he went into Monday night thinking it was potentially his final game.
“I've answered this before: Every game could be my final game,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers did say he enjoyed having a career renaissance with the Steelers after two rocky years with the Jets. Rodgers certainly showed he can still be an effective player, leading the Steelers to the AFC North title while completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns, with seven interceptions.
Rodgers was at his best in the regular season finale when the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 in a winner-take-all game for the division championship. He had a season-high 294 yards passing and threw the winning 26-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III with 55 seconds remaining.
On Monday night, Rodgers couldn’t muster any magic against the Texans, who gave up the fewest total yards in the NFL during the regular season. He completed just 17 of 33 passes for 146 yards while being intercepted once. Rodgers’ final pass – perhaps of his career – was picked off by Caleb Bullock and returned for 50 yards and a touchdown.
However, the rotten ending couldn’t spoil Rodgers’ appreciation for playing for the Steelers.
“I was fortunate to play in an incredible football city for 18 years, and I never took it for granted. I enjoyed that time there,” Rodgers said of playing for Green Bay. “This has been a really beautiful back end to that first 18, to be able to be here for a year. This is a special place. You've got tradition, got excellence, got all-time greats.
“You just look around the stadium tonight, just to see the fans. There wasn't a big (smattering) of Texans fans, and there's a lot to be said for that. There's only a few really places in the league that have the tradition and the town and the organization, and I'm thankful that I played for two of them.”