When Aaron Rodgers exited the field on Monday night after the Pittsburgh Steelers' playoff loss to the Houston Texans, many were wondering if it would be the last time we see the future Hall of Famer on a football field.
It's certainly fair to wonder if Rodgers could retire. Not only is he 42 years old, but the veteran signal-caller made it clear during the offseason that retirement was a very real possibility for him.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is it," Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show back in June. "That's why we just did a one-year deal. Steelers didn't need to put any extra years on that or anything, so this was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I've had."
While Rodgers has been back-and-forth on his future plans since then, ESPN's Lisa Salters shared a previously unknown conversation with Rodgers from Week 15 in which the quarterback said he feels like this is the end for him.
"We asked him a few weeks ago when we were here Week 15. We asked him, 'Is this it?'" Salters revealed. "He said 'probably.' That's what he's been saying all year. He said the team has been great. He doesn't know what the Steelers plans are for the future, but he said, for him, it feels like this is the end.
"He said it's been a really fun year. At that time, he just wanted to go on a run and make the playoffs. That did happen. But he said, I feel really good about what's happened this year, and that's what I've been saying. It just feels like the end."
When asked about his future after the wild-card loss to the Texans, Rodgers was not ready to talk about it.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decision,” Rodgers said. “Disappointed, obviously. It was such a fun year. Lot of adversity, but a lot of fun. … It’s disappointing to be sitting here with the season over.”
Based on everything we've read, it looks like the Steelers are interested in keeping him, although that could change if head coach Mike Tomlin doesn't return.
And Rodgers' decision could also be based on what other opportunities are out there. The 42-year-old will be a free agent and has said he expects to have some options once he becomes available.
"I’m 42 years old and I’m on a one-year deal, so you know what the situation is," he said. "Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent. That will give me a lot of options if I still want to play… maybe one or two.”
It's anyone's guess when we'll find out what Rodgers plans to do.
He could very well take his decision all the way up to the start of free agency, but we wouldn't expect it to last longer than that because waiting longer will limit his options greatly if he does decide to play in 2026.
More NFL News
- Steelers have clear-cut candidate to demand trade in 2026 offseason
- Aaron Rodgers makes feelings on Matt LaFleur hot-seat speculation clear
- Aaron Rodgers drops F-bomb in response for question about Mike Tomlin
- Raiders prediction could lead to trade with Cowboys, Eagles, Patriots
- Jaguars prediction could lead to blockbuster trade with Steelers, Bills, Giants