At long last, our social media timelines will be cleared of drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers’ future.
Two days after officially agreeing to a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the former New York Jets signal-caller announced on Wednesday that the 2026 season will be his last in the NFL.
“Yes,” Rodgers responded when asked if this will be his last year. “This is it.”
Rodgers also stated that when the Pittsburgh Steelers parted ways with head coach Mike Tomlin, he initially thought that his time in Pittsburgh was finished, but he reconsidered after the team hired Mike McCarthy to replace him.
McCarthy coached Rodgers for 13 seasons in Green Bay (2006-18). The duo won a Super Bowl together in the 2010 season.
Pittsburgh hopes that the pair can rediscover that magic in 2026.
McCarthy is returning to coaching after a one-year hiatus, which followed a five-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys that featured plenty of regular season success (49-35 record) but limited playoff success (1-2 record).
Rodgers, meanwhile, hopes to improve on a 2025 season that saw him post the sixth-worst QBR (44.4) among 33 qualified quarterbacks. The Steelers went 10-6 in Rodgers’ starts, earning a wild card berth, but suffered a 30-6 blowout at the hands of the Houston Texans, extending their playoff-victory drought to nine seasons.
The future Hall-of-Famer has declined greatly since his fourth MVP season in 2021. Across the last four seasons (2022-25), Rodgers is averaging just 6.7 yards per pass attempt, while his QBR was below 45.0 in each of his three full seasons.
The Jets are optimistic that Geno Smith will provide an upgrade over the mediocre season that Rodgers delivered for New York in 2024, when the Cal product finished 29th out of 36 qualifiers in QBR (44.7) and 28th in yards per pass attempt (6.7). Over the last four years, Smith has significantly outperformed the declining version of Rodgers.
The Jets and Steelers are not scheduled to play one another in 2026, although a playoff matchup could always be in the cards (however unlikely that may be). Rodgers’ Week 1 trip to MetLife Stadium in 2025, a 34-32 Steelers win that saw him throw four touchdowns, is on track to be his last meeting with the team that once tabbed him as its hopeful savior.
Based on what’s happened in Pittsburgh so far, it doesn’t seem like the Jets messed up when Aaron Glenn kicked Rodgers to the curb in an unceremonious breakup. Rodgers will have one last chance to change that.
