Aaron Rodgers to retire after 2026 season

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 12: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium on January 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After years of will-he, won't-he drama in the offseason, former Green Bay Packers quarterback and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers has officially stated that 2026 will be his last year in the NFL. In his press conference in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, he replied, This is it," when asked if he would retire after the season.

According to Rodgers, he thought about retiring this offseason until he was reunited with former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy. I started opening my mind back up to coming back," said Rodgers.

As a 42-year-old in 2025, Rodgers was able to go 10-6 with a 24-touchdown, 7-interception effort that earned him a 94.8 passer rating on the year. Despite that, though, head coach Mike Tomlin stepped away from his post after the season, leading to the hiring of McCarthy, who has a 174-112-2 record in the regular season and an 11-11 record in the postseason.

It's unlikely that the Packers will get to face off against Rodgers moving forward, since their only scheduled matchup is in Week 1 of the preseason - a game Rodgers will almost certainly be in a sideline cap for. If you want to watch Rodgers take on his original team again, it'll have to come in the Super Bowl.

Last year, Green Bay made the trip to Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers 35-25 off the strength of a 21-point fourth quarter. Rodgers, a four-time MVP of the league, was 24 of 36 for 219 yards and two touchdown passes. Thus far, Rodgers has beaten 31 of 32 franchises, with the Packers being the exception. In NFL history, the only quarterbacks to have beaten all 32 clubs are: Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.