Aaron Rodgers provides retirement update as he prepares to play 2026 NFL season with Steelers

While LeBron James just concluded his record 23rd season in the NBA, Aaron Rodgers just confirmed he will be playing in his 22nd and final season in the NFL.

During his peak, Rodgers was one of the league's biggest names despite playing in the same era as Tom Brady and even Patrick Mahomes. A lot of faces have come and gone in the span Rodgers played at a top level, and now the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback will have one last ride with his former Green Bay Packers head coach, Mike McCarthy, in The Steel City.

Rodgers will play against some of his former teams during this calendar year, albeit in the preseason, and he will have a chance to move up in some of the quarterback statistical rankings this season if he plays at a high enough level.

While he may be controversial, the NFL will lose one of its key figures who played a large role in the league's personalities during the 2010s. Even in the current decade, Rodgers has stayed in the news for various reasons, and it is still a big name to be without when he retires after 2026.

Here's the latest on Pittsburgh's quarterback deeming the 2026 season as his last.

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When is Aaron Rodgers retiring

On Wednesday, ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor reported that Rodgers definitively stated that the 2026 campaign with former Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy would be his last NFL season. Here is Rodgers' exact wording, according to Pryor. 

Aaron Rodgers asked if this is last year: "Yes. This is it." https://t.co/VeIC3W3TUw

The four-time MVP and Super Bowl 45 winner will officially hang it up after his 22nd campaign in the NFL. This season, Rodgers is the oldest player in the NFL and will command the Steelers' offense during his 17 final games as long as his health holds strong.

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Aaron Rodgers retirement tour

While the Steelers won't play against any of Rodgers' former teams during the 2026 regular season, his team will stand across the field from the Packers and New York Jets during the team's preseason bouts. Along with his former teams, Pittsburgh will not play any of the NFC North teams that Rodgers found great success against in his prime (61-26-1 record against the NFC North, according to Statmuse).

Here is the full list of familiar foes Rodgers may have circled on his calendar for his final season.

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Aaron Rodgers milestones

Ahead of the 2026 season, Rodgers sits with the second-most MVP awards in NFL history with four. While it is unlikely that Pittsburgh's field general will tie Peyton Manning's record with five after this season, there are some records Rodgers may come close to or move up in the rankings.

Here are Rodgers' best marks, and where he stands in the NFL history books heading into Year 22, according to Pro Football Reference.

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