Aaron Rodgers Reveals He Dealt With Illness, Vomiting Before Steelers' NFL Playoff Loss to Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed that he was under the weather prior to the team's 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round of the playoffs last season.

"I wasn't feeling good, and I actually came over to the team hotel, and they sent me home — probably because I was pale and looked like s--t," Rodgers said in a Saturday interview with Michael Silver of The Athletic.

The 42-year-old experienced flu-like symptoms including fever and vomiting but insisted that he recovered before kickoff, per Silver.

Rodgers ultimately struggled in the defeat, finishing 17-of-33 for 146 yards and one interception.

Pittsburgh recorded a mere 175 yards of total offense and averaged 3.1 yards per play.

While it's worth noting that Houston boasts an imposing defensive front and ranked No. 2 in the NFL by allowing a mere 17.4 points per game last season, it was still a disappointing performance by the Steelers.

It also marked a tough end to an encouraging overall year for Rodgers, who helped Pittsburgh win the AFC North for the first time since 2020.

The four-time MVP completed 65.7 percent of his throws for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns in his inaugural season with the Steelers, getting picked off just seven times.

Rodgers' future was uncertain at the end of his 2025 campaign, although he eventually signed a one-year deal to return to Pittsburgh as a free agent on May 18.

With the Steelers hiring new head coach Mike McCarthy and making offseason additions at wide receiver including Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard, Rodgers will look to lead them on a deeper playoff run next year.