Aaron Rodgers has announced his intention to retire after the 2026 NFL season. The four-time NFL Most Valuable Player says the upcoming season will be his last, bringing to a close a career spanning more than two decades.
Rodgers’ Decision and Contract Details
Rodgers, aged 42, spent over four months deciding whether to return for a 22nd NFL season. He signed a one-year contract on Monday to return to Pittsburgh for his second season with the Steelers.
When asked on Wednesday if the upcoming season would be the last of his career, Rodgers told reporters, “Yes, this is it.” One year ago Rodgers had suggested the 2025 season could be his last. He then helped Pittsburgh earn the AFC North division title and a playoff berth.
Factors Influencing His Return
Rodgers said he felt “some doubt” about returning for this season before deciding to re-sign with Pittsburgh after April’s NFL draft, according to ESPN. One factor in his decision was Pittsburgh’s new coach, Mike McCarthy, whom Rodgers had played for in Green Bay for 13 seasons.
“I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh,” Rodgers told reporters. “But when the decision was made to hire Mike, I started opening my mind back up to coming back.”
A Hall of Fame Career
Rodgers will end his career with a Super Bowl title and ranked among the most prolific quarterbacks in the history of pro football. Rodgers ranks tied for first all-time in passer rating, fourth in passing touchdowns and fifth in passing yards.
One of his greatest strengths has been how rarely he turned the ball over. Despite attempting 8,743 passes, sixth-most in league history, he threw interceptions on only 1.4% of them, a percentage that ties for the best all-time. After throwing 13 interceptions during his first season as a starter in 2008, he went on to throw double-digit interceptions just once over his next 13 seasons.
Green Bay Years and Achievements
He is best-known for his time in Green Bay, where he earned all 10 of his Pro Bowl honors. He blossomed from a backup to Brett Favre for three seasons into an elite passer. Rodgers was named the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl during the Packers’ victory to cap the 2011 season, when he also was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. He went on to win the award again in 2014, 2020 and 2021, with his four Super Bowl wins second only to Peyton Manning all-time.
Rodgers finished the season with his highest completion percentage and passer rating since 2021 and 24 touchdowns, his fewest ever in a season in which he played at least 10 games.
From Junior College to NFL Stardom
To say his Hall of Fame-worthy career was surprising would be a dramatic understatement. After high school in Chico, California, Rodgers attended Butte College, a junior college that was multiple rungs lower than major college football. His success at Butte led Rodgers to Berkeley, California, where he starred at California and became viewed as a first-round draft talent in the NFL. On draft night in 2005, with cameras traine