This time, Rodgers might not even play in the game. That doesn't diminish the meaning of the meeting to the quarterback, though, and given the fact Rodgers has [stated 2026 will be his final season](https://www.nfl.com/news/steelers-aaron-rodgers-says-zero-debate-2026-will-be-final-season-in-nfl), he won't have a chance to return to Lambeau Field as a uniformed visitor before his career ends.
“It would have been strange, being in that locker room and stuff,” Rodgers said. “But I would have found my way over, like many former players have over the years, found my way over to Flea’s (Packers head athletic trainer Bryan Engel’s) office and hang out back there and see some of the guys and see some of the trainers and equipment staff and all the people I really care about that still work there.
“Yeah, I was definitely bummed out that we weren’t in Lambeau for this one.”
When Rodgers knew his time in Green Bay was finished after the 2022 season, he used his leverage to force a trade to the New York Jets in order to find a new home where he knew he was wanted, and where he might be able to pursue an elusive second Lombardi Trophy. That story didn't include a happy ending, of course, and the journey from Green Bay through New York to Pittsburgh might have provided him with some wisdom and perspective.
Now, with full awareness of his football mortality, Rodgers isn't holding onto grudges. He's once again playing for the coach who guided him through some of his best years in Green Bay in Mike McCarthy, and appears ready to soak in every second of his final NFL campaign.
It just won't include a return trip to his first NFL home.
“Players around the league, they talk about how special it is to play at Lambeau, and sometimes you might miss that or forget about that when you’re playing because it becomes so normal to have such an amazing crowd and they’re tailgating and they’re loud and they rarely sell their tickets to other teams’ fans," Rodgers reflected. "There’s a lot of great things about Wisconsin. I grew up there, really, and became a little more mature as an adult over the years there and had a great time and still have a lot of close friends there, a lot of fond memories.”