Aaron Rodgers Says Wife Brittani Gave Him Permission to Play '1 More Year' for Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers told reporters his wife, Brittani, ultimately gave him the green light to return for his 22nd and final NFL season.

"I thought last year might be it," Rodgers said, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "And then Mike [McCarthy] got hired, and I talked to the wife (Brittani) and she said, 'You can do one more year.' I said, 'Well, we'll see if it works out.' And then it kind of all came together."

Rodgers is entering his 22nd NFL season and second with Pittsburgh. The 10-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro First Teamer and four-time NFL MVP helped lead Pittsburgh to a 10-win season and an AFC North title last year, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards (6.7 YPA), 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

After the season, head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down after 19 seasons at the helm, and he was replaced by Mike McCarthy, Rodgers' old coach with the Green Bay Packers from 2006-2018.

It's clear McCarthy's hire in January piqued Rodgers' interest enough to return, and his wife's blessing played a large role in sealing the deal.

Rodgers has some new weapons on the team this year, with running back Rico Dowdle and wide receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard aboard. He and McCarthy will look to recreate their old magic in Green Bay soon enough when the Steelers host the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 13 to begin the season.