Aaron Rodgers, Mike Evans, Aging NFL Stars We Hope to See Back for Another Run in 2026

As we approach the official start of the 2026 NFL offseason, the futures of several legitimate NFL stars remain unclear. Some of them may have already played their last downs. If that's the case, the league won't feel quite the same.

Stars retire every offseason, of course, and the league continues to thrive. However, there's a very real chance we're entering an offseason in which multiple longtime standouts—including Aaron Rodgers, Mike Evans and Travis Kelce—could usher in the end of an era together.

Here, we'll examine the biggest names who could choose retirement and why we would prefer to see them back on the field in 2026 instead.

While we'll certainly respect the decision of any player who decides to call it a career, we're hoping that these aging NFL stars choose to come back for at least one more run.

Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

To be clear, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is retired. He decided to walk away last offseason after tests revealed he had a torn labrum and "significant degenerative changes" to his rotator cuff.

However, the 34-year-old recently opened the door for a possible NFL return.

"Would I do it? Absolutely, I would. I told you two things: I have to be healthy, and I'd want a chance to win a Super Bowl. And obviously, that's a tough thing to find," Carr said on the Home Grown with David & Derek Carr podcast (h/t NFL.com's Kevin Patra).

Carr would certainly face obstacles in an NFL comeback. For one, the Saints still own his rights, meaning any team looking to add him would need to facilitate a trade. Secondly, he wants to join a playoff-caliber team, and most of those have steady starters behind center.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings are two possible exceptions, though. The Steelers won the AFC North this past season and may bring back Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings won 14 games in 2024 but floundered with second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy in 2025.

Regardless of where he lands, we'd love to see Carr back on the field because the NFL simply doesn't have enough quality starters to go around. Carr, a four-time Pro Bowler with a career 92.8 passer rating, could create one less vacancy by returning.

Lavonte David, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Gary McCullough

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David made it clear that he wasn't happy with how his team's 2025 season unraveled.

"To be honest with you, I think it's embarrassing," David told the Caps Off podcast (h/t Aryan Mamtani of Yahoo Sports).

The 36-year-old has also said he's healthy enough to keep going but is undecided about his playing future.

"You know, I'm healthy. I'm happy," David said. "I'm undecided [on retiring]. I'm genuinely undecided, like I don't know. I don't know. I still have a lot of football left in me. I know that for sure. I still love the game. I know that for sure."

David, who is scheduled to be a free agent in March, would draw interest from linebacker-needy teams if he does decide to keep playing. The longtime starter had another strong season in 2025, finishing with 114 tackles, 2.5 sacks, an interception, and two fumble recoveries in 17 games.

We'd love to see David back in 2026 because he's still one of the most impactful off-ball linebackers in the league. We'd also love to see him back—ideally with the Bucs, as he's never played for another franchise—so that he has a chance to end his storied career in less embarrassing fashion.

Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Mike Evans' situation is very similar to David's. The 32-year-old has spent his entire career in Tampa, is scheduled to be a free agent in March, and is considering retirement this offseason.

However, recent buzz suggests that Evans is already more likely to return than David, though not necessarily as committed to the Buccaneers.

"David has already said he won't play anywhere else, so it's Tampa Bay or retirement. Evans, 32, is less likely to retire, based on conversations with those closest to him," ESPN's Jenna Laine wrote. "How much does being left out of the 2025 playoffs eat at Evans, knowing he has only so much time left?

In addition to missing the playoffs in 2025, Evans had his record-tying streak of 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons snapped by a broken collarbone. The six-time Pro Bowler may already be a Hall of Famer because of his one Super Bowl win and that record—which he shares with Jerry Rice—but we'd sure love to see Evans finish his career on a higher note.

Whether Evans returns to the Bucs or latches on with another contender, we'd love to see him making incredible catches in the playoffs at least one more time.

Lane Johnson, OT, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Great offensive linemen are hard to find, and shaky offensive line play can ruin even the best of game plans—just look at the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX for an example.

Ideally, we'll see as many Hall of Fame-caliber offensive linemen on the field as we possibly can next season.

That's part of the reason why we'd love to see Lane Johnson back for his age-36 season. The two-time champion and six-time Pro Bowler could also play a big role in the Philadelphia Eagles' ability to bounce back from last year's Super Bowl hangover.

The Eagles will need all the help they can get along the offensive line after longtime O-line coach Jeff Stoutland decided to step down.

We'd also like to see Johnson end his career with a better campaign than his most recent, which was cut to 10 games by a Lisfranc injury. Fortunately, it sounds like he'll be back for another go.

"I'd be surprised if Lane Johnson isn't back," ESPN insider Adam Schefter told 97.5 The Fanatic.

Though Johnson could be a cap casualty this offseason—Philly would save $9.4 million by releasing him with a post-June 1 designation—we'd be stunned if he played for any other franchise. Johnson has played all 13 seasons with the Eagles.

Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/John Amis

Travis Kelce is another standout of the current era who is likely already headed to the Hall of Fame. The 11-time Pro Bowler already ranks third among tight ends on the all-time receiving list with 13,002 yards, and he's won three Super Bowls alongside star quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Kelce, who will turn 37 in October, will be a free agent next month and remains undecided on his future. However, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Kelce "has been in touch with his team about a potential return and Kansas City wants him back."

The Chiefs missed the playoffs and watched Mahomes suffer a torn ACL this past season. For them, a rapid return to Super Bowl contention may not happen. Regardless, we'd love to see Kelce back in Kansas City for a couple of reasons.

For one, we love to see history unfold. Kelce may not catch Tony Gonzalez, who is the all-time receiving leader among tight ends with 2,125 more yards than Kelce. With 45 more receiving yards, though, Kelce could surpass Jason Witten for No. 2 on the all-time list.

Secondly, we'd love to see Kelce's final NFL reception, whenever and wherever it happens, come from Mahomes. It would just feel right, and it can only happen if Kelce comes back for another season.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Rodgers turned 42 in December and saw his 2025 campaign end with a blowout loss to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round. However, both he and the Steelers may be interested in giving their partnership another go in 2026.

"Both sides are open to a potential return," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report's Mike Chiari).

Whether Rodgers returns to Pittsburgh or latches on with another potential contender like Minnesota, we'd love to see him back for another season.

Rodgers, who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers back in 2005, is the last bastion of a bygone NFL era headlined by star quarterbacks like Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, and Eli Manning.

The future of NFL quarterbacking looks quite bright—even if there still aren't enough starters to go around—but it'd be fun to see a member of the old guard find some postseason success before calling it a career. Rodgers' last playoff win came after the 2020 season.

A return to Pittsburgh would make sense, as Rodgers first became the Packers' starter under McCarthy, and the two won a Super Bowl together in 2010.

While it's hard to envision Rodgers taking Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl in 2026, he and McCarthy might be able to deliver the Steelers' first playoff win since the 2016 season. That would be a fitting final chapter to Rodgers' Hall of Fame story.

Bobby Wagner, LB, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.

Football fans love to witness history. We got to see a bit of it in Week 18 when Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner recorded the 2,000th combined tackle of his career.

Wagner now trails only Ray Lewis and London Fletcher on the all-time tackles list.

The 35-year-old (36 in June) is already a future Hall of Famer. He won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013, and he's been a constant producer at every stop of his career.

Wagner is a 10-time Pro Bowler and a six-time first-team All-Pro. While he was again productive in his 14th NFL season, he hasn't said much since hitting that tackling milestone in January.

"I have not thought about anything outside of today," Wagner said after the season finale, per NFL reporter Tom Schad.

A 2026 return, though, would give Wagner the opportunity to surpass both Fletcher and Lewis on the all-time tackles list. Lewis sits at No. 1 with 2,059 combined tackles, and Wagner has averaged just under 143 combined tackles per season. He's never had fewer than 100 in a single campaign.

In addition to seeing Wagner stake his claim in the record books, it'd be a joy to see one of the best to ever do it get one more crack at the postseason—possibly with the defending-champion Seahawks, who made him a second-round draft pick in 2012.

Wagner is set to be a free agent in March.