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If you didn’t believe Aaron Rodgers when he first said this would be his last season, maybe you’ll understand now.
Rodgers, who re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason and said his 22nd NFL season will be his last, reiterated his desire to retire at training camp on Monday.
“This is it,” the 42-year-old told reporters at a news conference.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers listens to head coach Mike McCarthy during NFL practice in Pittsburgh on May 20, 2026. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)
The thought of retirement has been around Rodgers for quite some time, including this offseason, when the Steelers — and the rest of the NFL, for that matter — waited patiently to see if this was truly the end of his career.
Meanwhile, the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as their next head coach after parting ways with longtime frontline leader Mike Tomlin. McCarthy and Rodgers have the obvious relationship of winning together as Green Bay Packers. They spent 15 seasons at Lambeau Field.
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Rodgers admitted that hiring McCarthy was a key part of his desire to last one more season into the sunset.
“I thought last year might be the time and then they hired Mike, and then I talked to the wife and she said, ‘You can work one more year. Let’s see if it works.’ And then it all came together,” he said.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers listens to a question during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
When a reporter mentioned that Rodgers’ top receiver, DK Metcalf, had said that players often claim it’s their last season and then come back, Rodgers doubled down.
“No, zero debate,” he responded.
Rodgers said the same thing in May during a news conference after signing his one-year deal with the Steelers, whom he joined after a humble stint with the New York Jets.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on after being sacked during the first half of the NFL wild card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 12, 2026. (Michael Longo/For USA Today Network-PA / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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In his first season with the Steelers in 2025, Rodgers went 10-6, throwing for 3,322 yards with a 65.7% completion rate and 24 touchdowns with seven interceptions.
The Steelers also bolstered their offense this season, adding veteran wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts. They also signed Rico Dowdle to work with Jaylen Warren in the backfield after Kenneth Gainwell, who Rodgers loved to throw the ball to, landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason.
