Aaron Rodgers will go down as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL. After all, four-time NFL MVPs don’t grow on trees. But will the twilight of his career play a factor in how he’s remembered? While it’s still a question whether Rodgers will even play in 2026, Chris Simms believes that continuing to play is only doing harm to Rodgers’ legacy.
“The thing I think with Rodgers, I’m all for it,” Simms said of Rodgers potentially returning for a second season with Pittsburgh. “If you want to play and you’re enjoying it, go for it. You’re the man. I’m certainly not going to disagree with that. But what I would also say is I don’t think he’s helping his legacy if he’s worried about that either. The people are going to remember the last few years.”
Legacy can be a tricky thing to control, and stepping away from the game is never easy, especially for players who have reached the heights. There’s no doubt that Rodgers isn’t the player he once was from a physical standpoint. His mobility and ability to create outside the pocket have deteriorated with age. Last season, his forte was getting the ball out quickly to avoid pressure.
The natural comparison for Rodgers in this discussion is to Tom Brady, one of his contemporaries who played into his forties and even made a late-career change and joined a new team. That’s about where the comparisons will end, though, because Brady’s career numbers after turning 40 dwarf Rodgers’ accomplishments over the last three seasons. At 44 years old in 2021, Brady threw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns and finished second in MVP voting. That season at 38 years old, Rodgers won his fourth MVP but threw for just over 1,200 fewer yards and 6 fewer touchdowns than Brady.
While Brady won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his second act, Rodgers’ career after leaving Green Bay hit a speed bump after an Achilles injury knocked him out of his first game with the New York Jets. After one more middling season in New York, Rodgers joined the Steelers and was steady yet underwhelming, as he was unable to help Pittsburgh break the playoff win drought.
For the Steelers, Rodgers returning in 2026 isn’t about résumé building or defining a legacy. The question is whether Rodgers will provide meaningful production at the quarterback position to move the franchise forward. But it’s easy to ask questions about how Rodgers’ late-career play will impact the way he’s remembered. While father time remains undefeated, and there’s a slim chance that his play improves dramatically from last season, perhaps a stronger surrounding cast and a reunion with Mike McCarthy can make 2026 a bright spot on Rodgers’ legacy.
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