Aaron Rodgers Reportedly More Likely to Retire Than Sign with Non-Super Bowl Contender

Aaron Rodgers might play next season. Or he might not. The entire NFL world is waiting, and the process continues to drag on with the draft approaching.

But one thing is reportedly clear.

He's not going to play unless it is for a Super Bowl contender.

Aditi Kinkhabwala of CBS Sports reported Wednesday that Rodgers is more likely to retire than sign with a team he doesn't see as a threat to take home the Lombardi Trophy. "It's extremely clear Rodgers is not going to play just for the sake of playing," Kinkhabwala added.

Rodgers has consistently been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, but NFL insider Josina Anderson reported Thursday a team source said the "vibe" was "a little weird" regarding the veteran:

It remains to be seen whether he will join the Steelers, but the report that he would rather retire than join a non-contender is anything but surprising.

Rodgers is 41 years old, just one season removed from an Achilles injury and has accomplished everything there is to accomplish at the NFL level. Logic dictates he isn't going to continue to put his body through the physical toll of another NFL season just to have no chance at the sport's ultimate prize by the end of the campaign.

There was a time, though, that Rodgers' presence alone would make a team a Super Bowl contender.

After all, he has a Lombardi Trophy, four MVPs, a Super Bowl MVP and 10 Pro Bowl selections on a resume that also includes 10 seasons of more than 4,000 passing yards and two seasons where he led the league in passing touchdowns.

Yet that peak version of Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers was largely missing during the 2024 campaign as he went 5-12 as a starter for the New York Jets. He finished 28th in the league in QBR (48.0), which was one spot behind Aidan O'Connell, per Pro Football Reference.

That version of Rodgers can no longer elevate a team beyond what would otherwise be the ceiling of the roster around him like he could when he was at his best with the Packers.

It's not as if New York was missing playmakers with Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams and Breece Hall either, but it still struggled to compete in the AFC East.

He surely doesn't want to go through another losing season like that and, reportedly, would rather call it quits on his career.