Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers To Retire After 2026 Season
All good things must come to an end. Aaron Rodgers, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, plans to retire after the upcoming 2026 football season, which would be his 22nd in the NFL. Per ESPN, the four-time recipient of the NFL Most Valuable Player award made the announcement at a news conference in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. "Yes. This is it," he said after getting asked if this would be his final season in the NFL.
Rodgers began his over two-decade career with the Green Bay Packers, leaving the team in 2022. Then, he played for the New York Jets from 2023 to 2024 before joining the Steelers in June 2025. The Super Bowl MVP signed a one-year contract for a cool $13.65 million prior to his stint with the Steelers. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers remarked that the 2025 season would be his last.
Following discussions with his general manager, Omar Khan; current Steelers coach Mike McCarthy, and his wife, Rodgers decided to return for one more season. This time, he signed a one-year contract "worth up to $25 million."
For Rodgers, this return is also a "full circle" moment, as it reunites him with McCarthy, who was his coach for 13 seasons with the Packers. The quarterback had reservations about going in for a second season with the Steelers, but the opportunity to work with McCarthy again was too good to pass up. Rodgers won two of his four MVP awards under McCarthy's leadership, and the pair made the playoffs nine times and won one Super Bowl together.
Rodgers had this to say about reuniting with McCarthy:
"Honestly, sitting in the first 8 o'clock meeting on Monday took me back to being a 22-year-old kid sitting in Green Bay, listening to Mike's first meeting in 2006. It's fun. I mean, it's like 'pinch me' moments. It's been happening the last few days, getting to sit next to [offensive line coach] James Campen in the meetings is fun. [Assistant offensive line coach] Jahri Evans was a teammate of mine. He's on his staff now as a Hall of Famer-should be a Hall of Famer. That's pretty cool too. A lot of connections."
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 12:57 PM.