Aaron Rodgers retirement decision coming soon as Steelers wait

The NFL’s most-watched offseason drama series — Aaron Rodgers Makes A Decision — is expected to get a shortened final season.

The belief around the league is that Rodgers is expected to decide whether he wants to play another season or retire by mid-March, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on his podcast. Furthermore, the report said that the feeling is that Rodgers is “more likely than not” to re-sign with the Steelers as a free agent.

That report aligns with Steelers general manager Omar Khan saying Tuesday at the NFL combine that “I don’t think either side wants to have this drag on like it did last year.”

Aaron Rodgers AP

Of course, with Rodgers, timelines are fungible.

Rodgers infamously went into a cave thinking he was going to retire from the Packers in 2023 and came out willing to be traded to the Jets. After his two-year run with the Jets ended, he didn’t sign with the Steelers until June 2025, which ruffled some feathers as he left their quarterback situation twisting in the wind while veterans worked at voluntary OTAs.

It was widely assumed that last season was Rodgers’ swansong, especially after he led the Steelers into the playoffs and saw head coach Mike Tomlin — the main attraction to bring Rodgers to the Steelers — resign.

But the Steelers threw a curveball by hiring Mike McCarthy to replace Tomlin. Rodgers won two MVPs and a Super Bowl under McCarthy in Green Bay and, while their tenure together did not end well, it sounds as if maturity and time has healed all old wounds.

So, could the Steelers and Rodgers reunite for one more as the team hunts for a future franchise quarterback other than 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard? Sure.

The wrinkle is that the Vikings are looking for competition for J.J. McCarthy after an underwhelming first season as their starter. Rodgers reportedly wanted to play for the Vikings last offseason, but the Vikings were set to roll with McCarthy.