Aaron Rodgers leaves his Steelers future unresolved after Wild Card loss

The Pittsburgh Steelers' season is over, and so too could be the career of Aaron Rodgers, one of the league’s most decorated and talented passers in history. Though, of course, there’s no certainty in whether that will actually be the case.

Rodgers and the Steelers have hinted at the possibility that he returns to the team in 2026. Of course, Rodgers’ future isn’t the only major uncertainty the Steelers face after their humiliating loss to the Houston Texans Monday night. Art Rooney II will have to make a decision about Mike Tomlin’s future with the franchise soon, and that will certainly impact whether Rodgers wears a Steelers uniform next season, or any at all.

A battered and beaten Rodgers answered candidly about his future after the game, but offered no real direction on what his future in the NFL might hold.

“No, I mean I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” he said. “Disappointed, you know, obviously. Such a fun year, you know, a lot of adversity but a lot of fun. Been a great year, you know, overall in my life in the last year and this is a really good part of that, coming here and being a part of this team.”

Aaron Rodgers spoke fondly of the Pittsburgh Steelers without committing to 2026 return

Rodgers told reporters during what may have been his final press conference as an NFL quarterback that he’ll take time away and then begin having “the right conversations” about 2026. He assured that he hasn’t come to a conclusion on retiring with a familiar answer.

“I’ve answered this before; every game could be my final game,” he said.

Rodgers didn’t play well in his final game; his last pass for the Steelers ended even more unceremoniously than his previous with the Green Bay Packers. Then it was an interception that locked the Packers out of the postseason, this one a pick-six to end the Steelers’ postseason dreams.

On the night, Rodgers was 17/33 for 146 yards and an interception, also taking four sacks, two of which resulted in fumbles, on a 33-yard scoop and score for the Texans’ defense. It was, to put it bluntly, one of the worst playoff performances by an NFL quarterback in league history.

Nonetheless, Rodgers was, for much of the season, the least of Pittsburgh’s problems. He wasn’t his old MVP self, no, and he didn’t play particularly well initially after returning from his fractured wrist, but he undoubtedly played a massive part in all of Pittsburgh’s success in 2025. The season didn’t end how anyone hoped - in fact, it ended how most Steelers fans feared it would. But it’s not at all surprising to hear Rodgers express his appreciation for his season as a Steeler.

“I was fortunate to play in an incredible football city for 18 years, and I never took it for granted. I enjoyed that time there. And this has been a really beautiful back end to that first 18, you know, to be here for a year,” Rodgers said. “This is a special place. It’s got tradition, got excellence, got all-time greats. You know, you just look around the stadium tonight just to see the fans, you know. There wasn’t a big splattering of Texans fans, and there’s a lot to be said for that. There’s only a few special places around the league that have the tradition and the town and the organization, and I’m thankful to have played for two of them.

“Thankful to put the colors on, and run out that tunnel, and be a part of this organization.”

READ MORE: Steelers playoff exit forces Art Rooney II to finally confront Mike Tomlin’s future

Whether Aaron Rodgers plays football in 2026 is a headline we’ll have to wait to see. But in the aftermath of the 2025 campaign, none can say he didn’t give his all and then some for the Steelers this season. It wasn’t all pretty, and the lofty goals this team carried fell far out of reach, but Rodgers played his part in getting the Steelers as close to reaching their goals as possible, despite so many shortcomings within the offense around him.

How the Steelers approach Tomlin’s future will ultimately sway fan perspective on this season, but when it comes to Rodgers, there’ll be a lasting bitter taste of what could have been. How that influences Rooney’s decision, and by proxy Rodgers’ decision, is what Steelers fans will wait to find out as the offseason begins.