It is still unclear whether Aaron Rodgers will return for a 21st season in the NFL. But if he does, it won’t be to play for one specific quarterback-needy team, which he made incredibly clear on Saturday.
The New Orleans Saints were just as shocked as everyone else when veteran quarterback Derek Carr announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this month, which created an obvious situation where they are in dire need of an established starting quarterback.
Unfortunately for Saints fans, that quarterback will not be Rodgers. During a live edition of the YNK Podcast, Rodgers was asked by a fan in attendance whether he would like to start for the Saints. His response was very clear and concise no.
🚨BREAKING: 4x #NFL MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers says that he will never play for the New Orleans #Saints.
Q: “Would you ever consider playing for the Saints?”
Aaron: “NO…. NO.”
DAMN.
(Via Mike Stud)
pic.twitter.com/pjIOAbVkes
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) May 24, 2025
It perhaps shouldn’t be too much of a shock to see that Rodgers is so quick to turn down an opportunity to potentially start in New Orleans. The former MVP has been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout much of the offseason and is still expected to be the lone destinate he would go to if he does choose to continue his NFL career.
As for how this affects the Saints, it leaves them in a position where they are set to be extremely inexperienced at the quarterback position in 2025.
Currently, the likely candidates to start in New Orleans are Tyler Shough, a rookie selected in the second round by the Saints in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Spencer Rattler, who started in seven games in his rookie season last year.
Unless the Saints bring in another veteran presence in free agency, it will likely be Shough or Rattler who will be their Week 1 starter. But we know now that Rodgers will not be Derek Carr’s successor in New Orleans.