Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he will retire at the end of the 2026 NFL season after signing a new one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The 42-year-old finalised a new deal this week which will take him into a 22nd season in the NFL.
When asked in a news conference if the campaign, which begins in September, will be his last, Rodgers replied: “Yes, this is it.”
Rodgers won the 2011 Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers and has been named the league’s Most Valuable Player four times.
Last summer, he accepted a one-year deal with Pittsburgh worth $13.65m (£10.2m) – one of the NFL’s lowest annual salaries among starting quarterbacks.
But Rodgers’ new contract is reported to be worth a guaranteed $22m (£16.5m),, external and up to $25m (£18.8m) in incentives.
Pittsburgh quarterbacks coach Tom Arth said Rodgers has a “ferocious competitive spirit” but still has “so much fun” playing the game.
“He plays the game like he’s still 10 years old running around in the backyard,” added Arth.
Rodgers began his NFL career in 2005 when he was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the draft.
He helped the Steelers reach last season’s play-offs, before coach Mike Tomlin chose to bring his 19-year tenure to an end.
Tomlin was replaced by Mike McCarthy, who was head coach for most of Rodgers’ 18-year stint with the Green Bay Packers, and they won a Super Bowl together.
After leaving the Packers for the New York Jets in 2023, Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles on his debut – ruling him out for the rest of the season. He was then released after a disappointing second season in New York.
Rodgers is not as mobile as he used to be and missed one game for Pittsburgh in 2025 because of a broken wrist.
But even in an inconsistent season by the Steelers, he managed to steer them to a 10-7 record and their first AFC North title since 2020, before being outclassed by the Houston Texans in the post-season.
With Rodgers’ future still uncertain in April, Pittsburgh added a quarterback in the NFL Draft, selecting Drew Allar in the third round.
