Will the Steelers Veteran QB Return Next Season?
On June 5th, 2025, quarterback Aaron Rodgers inked a one-year deal with the Steelers. Shortly after signing, the four-time MVP declared that this would probably be his final season in the NFL. However, the 42-year-old since indicated that he’s considering playing for another year. Signs suggest that Rodgers may be returning for another season in Pittsburgh.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared his thoughts about Rodgers’ future with the team during the NFL GameDay broadcast. “Everybody wants to know about Aaron Rodgers’ future, but you saw that embrace between Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin. That is real. Both of them have enjoyed the other this season.” Rapoport added, “In fact, Rodgers actually began the season openly stating that he believed it would be his last year, except it’s gone so well in Pittsburgh. He’s showed enough offensively, he’s enjoyed his time in the locker room, that he is now open to returning for another season.”
Rapoport offered further insight. He explained, “In the locker room a couple weeks ago, though, Rodgers opened the door potentially to returning for 2026. He certainly is playing well enough, and my understanding is that if Rodgers did want to return for next season, the Steelers have really enjoyed the experience, they would be more than open to it. Just hope you get an answer sooner rather than later, like they did last offseason.”
Rodgers expressed gratitude for his time with the team. He said, “I’ve enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on and off the field, and it’s really what I was hoping for this experience was, it’s been even better than I was hoping.” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin spoke about what it’s been like to work with the veteran quarterback this season. He said, “He loves the process as much as he loves competing. He’s got an awesome relationship with football. He’s at the point in his career where he’s really reflective and excited about giving back to the game and the young people in the game, and so it’s fun to do that with him.”
Rodgers became a mentor to his teammates and stabilized the Steelers’ offense. At 42 years old, Rodgers is still one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s thrown for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. His completion percentage is 65.7%, which is his highest since 2021. Under Rodgers’ leadership, the Steelers clinched the AFC North title. The Steelers face the Houston Texans in a Wild Card game at Acrisure Stadium on Monday, January 12th, with kickoff at 8:15 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC, with streaming through the ESPN app, NFL+, and YouTube TV.
