Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense had a brutal experience against the Texans' defense in getting blown out at home, 30-6 in Monday night's wild-card playoff game.
While Houston advances to face host New England in the divisional round, Pittsburgh suffered its seventh consecutive playoff loss. Rodgers, before getting pulled for the futile final two-minute drill, failed to lead the Steelers on a touchdown drive.
Rodgers (17-of-33, 146 yards, INT, fumble lost, 4.4 yards per attempt, 4 sacks, 50.8 passer rating) not only struggled vs. The Texans' pressure in coverage, but his two turnovers also were returned for TDs that turned a close fourth-quarter game into a rout.
Could Rodgers really end his career with the worst playoff performance of his Hall of Fame career? There are good reasons to believe Rodgers won't retire and decide to return to Pittsburgh for the 2026 season — one more shot at redemption at age 42.
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Aaron Rodgers enjoyed football again playing for the Steelers
Rodgers is still sharp in his ability to process and there is no decline in his passing arm strength. More importantly, after his turbulent injury-marred two seasons with the Jets in his bumpy transition from the Packers, Rodgers put aside the off-field drama and was refocused on the field to lead the Steelers back to the playoffs as AFC North champions.
Several times, Rodgers has mentioned that he's felt at home again, being one of the guys in Pittsburgh. He also made a point to say how fortunate he was to play for Mike Tomlin.
Presuming Tomlin chooses to stay, his presence would be a big factor in trying to convince Rodgers to play one more year. Despite the misery at the end, there still was plenty of football joy for Rodgers to had playing for another storied and class organization.
Aaron Rodgers can expect to get a lot more help for next season
The Steelers, personnel-wise, need a lot of wide receiver help and some offensive line upgrades, too. Rodgers needed to lean too much on running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell and the tight ends to move the ball. DK Metcalf is a good downfield threat, but he is also inconsistent with his hands and routes. He would be better off with a strong slot-based No. 1, much like a prime Tyler Lockett in Seattle.
Calvin Austin III is overwhelmed as a No. 2 and needing Adam Thielen and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to play big roles was desperate. They also need to explore upgrading tackle in the draft with the No. 21 overall pick when their clock for the first round in Pittsburgh on April 23. The Steelers should have a better understanding of where Rodgers needs the support to be lifted and be better positioned to make moves tailored toward Rodgers.
MORE STEELERS-TEXANS NEWS:
- Texans defense stifles Aaron Rodgers, Steelers in wild-card win
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Aaron Rodgers is too much of a competitor to walk out after a playoff dud
When Tom Brady threw a pick-six in his final pass for the Patriots in their ugly 20-13 home wild-card loss to the Titans in the 2019-2020 AFC playoffs, it seemed like he was "washed" as an NFL QB at 42. One season later with the Buccaneers, he put up familiar MVP-caliber status and led Tampa Bay to a winning four-game Super Bowl 55 run — including outlasting Rodgers' Green Bay team to take the NFC title.
Brady having that comeback, albeit with a new team, provided more of a storybook ending in the final chapter. That should inspire and motivate Rodgers to think he can do something similar as an all-time great QB to rewrite his post-Packers narrative.
The Steelers were a flawed team in many ways. Rodgers put together their offense as best he could with his limited weapons and blocking. In the end, they were bound to lose a battle of attrition to a strong defensive team, such as the Texans.
The only reason Rodgers should retire is if he doesn't believe he can win big with the Steelers. It would make a lot more sense for him to wait and have confidence that their offseason will play out in his favor before walking away from the game for good.