Aaron Rodgers Gives Glimpse into Playing Future Ahead of Week 18 Showdown With Ravens

It certainly doesn’t sound like Rodgers is convinced that a loss on Sunday will end his playing career.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is undecided on playing in 2026.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is undecided on playing in 2026. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
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The Steelers head into Week 18’s AFC North showdown against the Ravens in a winner-take-all scenario.

The winner will head to the playoffs as division champions, while the loser will head home. In the unlikely event of a tie, the Steelers will win the AFC North.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has played in plenty of high stakes games over his career, and Sunday will be no different. If the Steelers lose, could this be the last we see of Rodgers in an NFL uniform?

“I’m thinking about this week, but obviously I’m 42 years old and I’m on a one-year deal,” Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday. “So you know what the situation is. Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent. So that’ll give me a lot of options if I still want to play...I mean, not a lot of options, but there’ll be options, I would think, maybe one or two, if I decide I still want to play.”

No matter what, Rodgers has enjoyed his experience in Pittsburgh.

“I’ve enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on and off the field. And it's really what I was hoping for this experience...it’s been even better than I was hoping.”

Rodgers said before the season that he was “pretty sure” that this would be his final year. But his comments on Wednesday did not paint a definitive picture. Whether it’s in Pittsburgh or elsewhere, there’s certainly a chance that the future Hall of Famer could return in 2026 for his age 43 season.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.