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Aaron Rodgers Directly States His Plan for Retirement After Signing With Steelers

Pittsburgh's new quarterback has a retirement date in mind.

Tom Dierberger

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers takes part in a drill during minicamp in June.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers takes part in a drill during minicamp in June. / Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images
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It appears Aaron Rodgers is entering the final year of his NFL career.

"I'm pretty sure this is it. That's why we did the one-year deal," Rodgers said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show. "Steelers didn't need to put any extra years on that or anything. This was really about finishing [my career] with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I've had.

"I've played 20 freakin' years. It's been a long run and I've enjoyed it. What better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises in the NFL with [coach] Mike Tomlin and a great group of leadership and great guys and a city that expects you to win?"

Rodgers has been flirting with retirement for the last few years and was considering hanging up the cleats again this offseason before he officially signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh earlier this month.

The 41-year-old quarterback now joins Pittsburgh for the final chapter of his Hall of Fame career, tasked with leading the Steelers back to the playoffs and continuing Tomlin's streak of 21 straight seasons without a losing record.

Rodgers is coming off a 2024 season with the New York Jets in which he threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 17 games, rebounding from his season-ending Achilles injury in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign.

Over 20 years in the league, Rodgers has compiled the best career passer rating (102.6) in NFL history (minimum 1,500 attempts). He also ranks fifth in career passing touchdowns (503) and seventh in passing yards (62,952).

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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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