Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is “pretty sure” the 2025 season will be his final NFL season.
In an interview with “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, Rodgers said he’s likely concluding a career that spanned more than two decades with a final year in Pittsburgh.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is it,” said Rodgers, who spent the first 18 years of his career in Green Bay, where he was a four-time NFL MVP. “That’s why we just did a one-year deal. Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on that or anything, so this was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I’ve had.
“I played 20 fricking years. It’s been a long run. I’ve enjoyed it, and no better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL with Mike Tomlin and a great group of leadership and great guys in the city that expects you to win.”
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Rodgers, 41, is the Packers’ franchise leader in touchdown passes (475), completion percentage (65.3) and passer rating (103.6) and ranks second behind only Brett Favre in passing yards (59,055) and completions (5,001).
After a prolonged decision-making process where he pondered retirement, Rodgers signed a one-year, $13.65 million deal just before reporting to mandatory minicamp this month. Rodgers elected to sign with the Steelers after being released by the New York Jets following a tumultuous two-year stint. He tore his Achilles just a handful of snaps into the 2023 season and then went 5-12 and missed the playoffs in 2024.
The Jets will host the Steelers in a Week 1 showdown Sept. 7. Rodgers will face Green Bay for the first time this season in Week 8 on “Sunday Night Football.”
Rodgers’ decision to play one more year, though, wasn’t dictated by a desire to go out with a better ending, he said Tuesday.
“It’s not really ‘[I] can’t go out like this,'” he said. “I love the game, and there’s been a beautiful relationship. It was my first love when I was 6 years old, dreaming about playing quarterback and being in the Super Bowl and winning in the Super Bowl. … I wanted to be there for minicamp once I decided I was going to be all-in, but I didn’t need this. I didn’t need it at all. I don’t feel the need to prove anything to anybody or don’t have any chip on my shoulder. I don’t want the attention.
“I’m going to give the Steelers everything that I got and empty the tank and be super comfortable and satisfied with whatever happens.”
For Rodgers, the draw of playing in Pittsburgh started with Tomlin. Rodgers said the two talked weekly while he was deciding on his future, and Tomlin’s patience and respect for Rodgers’ process endeared him to the coach. Rodgers said he also attended a cookout at Tomlin’s house the weekend after signing his contract.
“I had so many other things going on in my life that were taking my mind and my energy elsewhere and that’s why I appreciated how Mike was the entire time,” Rodgers said. “Just being able to have those conversations, honest conversations every single week was really meaningful to me, and the way that I was welcomed in was really cool.”
Rodgers said he “felt great” in 2024 and his left Achilles “felt incredible.” McAfee also said Rodgers fit in Tuesday’s interview between his two daily workouts, and Rodgers added that some of his teammates are planning to travel to Malibu, California, for a workout session next week.
In addition to talking about the upcoming season, Rodgers expressed frustration about the public’s interest in his private life. He revealed during minicamp that he was wearing a wedding ring and that he got married a couple months earlier. He didn’t disclose his wife’s identity and emphasized to McAfee he wanted to keep his private life out of the public eye.
“It’s a sick society,” he said. “I lived in a public eye for 20 years. I had a public relationship. How did that work out? … Now I’m with somebody who’s private, who doesn’t want to be in the public eye, didn’t sign up to be a celebrity, doesn’t want to be a part of it.
“My private life is my private life, and it’s going to stay that way. And I’m with somebody who wants to be private and if and when she wants to be out and there’s a picture, she’ll choose that, and she deserves the right to that.”
