NFL: Steelers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Thinks He Will Retire After This Season
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is it," he said on The Pat McAfee Show.
During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show earlier today, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that he will probably retire after the end of the 2025-26 season.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is it,” Rodgers said. “That’s why we just did a one-year deal. [The] Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on that or anything.”
The four-time MVP explained that he signed the one-year contract with Pittsburgh to reignite his appreciation for the sport that he has spent his entire life playing.
“This was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I’ve had,” Rodgers said. “I played 20 freaking years, you know? It’s been a long run, and I’ve enjoyed it. What better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL with Mike Tomlin and the great group of leadership and great guys in the city that expects you to win.”
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers told the @PatMcAfeeShow that he’s “pretty sure this is it”, the last season of his NFL career. Rodgers said it is why he signed a one-year deal in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/MVRVcQhd6E
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 24, 2025
Even though Rodgers recently tied the knot, he said that football will always be his first love.
“I love the game, and there’s been a beautiful relationship,” he described. “It was my first love when I was six years old, dreaming about playing quarterback and being in a Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl.”
He told the members of The Pat McAfee Show that he didn’t come to this decision to sign with Pittsburgh or retire easily. However, the Steelers organization made the process easier.
“I think I just wanted to be all in, and I had so many other things going on in my life that were taking my mind and my energy elsewhere,” Rodgers said. “That’s why I appreciated how Mike (Tomlin) was the entire time. Just being able to have those conversations – honest conversations – every single week was really meaningful to me. And the way that I was welcomed in was really cool.”
“I’m pretty sure this is it.”
Aaron Rodgers told the @PatMcAfeeShow he anticipates this will be his final season in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/UWLixXRIGt
— ESPN (@espn) June 24, 2025
Interestingly, Rodgers said that he would have been fine walking away from the NFL before he ended up signing with Pittsburgh.
“I didn’t need this, you know? I didn’t need it at all,” he said. “I don’t I don’t feel the need to prove anything to anybody, or don’t have any chip on my shoulder that I need to hold on to. I don’t want the attention.”
Rodgers made it clear that once he retires from the NFL, he will also retire from the limelight.
“When this is all done, it’s Keyser Soze,” he clarified. “You won’t see me. I won’t be in the public. I don’t want to live a public life… But while I’m in it, and for this year, I’m going to give the Steelers everything that I got.”