Aaron Rodgers' retirement decision hangs in the balance for Steelers

Billy Heyen

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Aaron Rodgers' retirement decision hangs in the balance for Steelers image

Before the season, Aaron Rodgers made it pretty clear.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' new QB told his friend Pat McAfee that this would probably be the end of the road.

Rodgers had signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh, and at least based on those public comments, he seemed to believe there would be no more deals.

Except now that Rodgers has played well (except for a rough Week 10), maybe the equation has changed.

Rodgers looks further and further removed from the 2023 torn Achilles. Maybe he was always due for an uptick in 2025 after a 5-12 season with the Jets in 2024.

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NFL.com's Judy Battista wrote Thursday that Rodgers' looming retirement decision is one of the major storylines to watch in the second half of this season.

"Aaron Rodgers was playing much better in 2025 than he did in 2024 until Sunday night, when he had his worst outing of the season in a loss to the Chargers," Battista writes. "Until now, it seemed likely the Steelers would hope Rodgers changed his mind about this probably being his last season. These last two months will determine plenty: whether the Steelers make it to the playoffs, whether Rodgers still has it, and whether the Steelers want him back."

The Steelers don't yet have an obvious heir. They chose Will Howard in the sixth round out of Ohio State, but they wouldn't want to go into a new season counting on him with no proof of concept.

If Rodgers retires, it seems likely Pittsburgh would draft an early-round QB and potentially sign another veteran, too.

But if Rodgers comes back, it delays finding a solution. The Steelers could still draft a passer, knowing he could sit and learn for a year.

It's definitely a meaningful situation, no matter which way Rodgers ends up deciding.

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Contributing Writer