Is Aaron Rodgers really leaning hard toward retirement over returning to the Steelers?
For most of the offseason, we’ve operated under the assumption Aaron Rodgers was likely to return to the Steelers rather than retiring. Aditi Kinkhabwala casually threw a curveball yesterday when she said his chances of returning were “miniscule”. It’s not a matter of who to believe at this point, but rather who has more accurate information.
One thing we can reasonably assume is that nobody is getting this information from the source. Aaron Rodgers isn’t telling any reporters that he is retiring, nor is he announcing plans to re-sign with the Steelers. At best, everybody is hearing from people who are in, or near, Rodgers’ circle—or claim to be.
Certainly, over the course of the 2025 season, Aaron Rodgers gave indications he was interested in returning to the Steelers. He basically said the experience revitalized his love for the game. Yet Rodgers has also hinted toward last season being his last and retiring.
Surely, nobody is enjoying this conversation more than Rodgers himself, and we’re not going to know how this plays out until one shoe or the other drops. New Steelers HC Mike McCarthy—who worked with Rodgers for 13 years—has said he has spoken with him fairly regularly. He said he wants Rodgers back, but Rodgers has to want to come back rather than retire.
After a Hall of Fame career with the Packers, Aaron Rodgers had a dismal two-year stint with the Jets. The whole experience left him leaning toward retirement, but eventually he came to the Steelers to play for Mike Tomlin. Tomlin is gone, but perhaps McCarthy is the next best thing.
There is a debate over whether Rodgers returning is in the Steelers’ best interests. The team seems to want him to return, however, and he has the support of the locker room. If it just a matter of him saying he wants to play, and then the job is his? Where do Will Howard and Malik Willis fit into this conversation?
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin resigning.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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