Aaron Rodgers Reveals How Close He Was to Retiring From NFL Before Steelers Hired Mike McCarthy

The Pittsburgh Steelers' hiring of Mike McCarthy convinced quarterback Aaron Rodgers to sign on for a 22nd season in the NFL.

Rodgers said on SiriusXM NFL Radio "there's been times in the last three offseasons where I felt like maybe it is time." This spring was no different, and he was "content in walking away" based on what he experienced with the Steelers and former coach Mike Tomlin in 2025.

However, the opportunity to reunite with McCarthy was too good to pass up.

Rodgers reiterated what he told reporters in July as to his mindset.

"I thought last year might be it," he said. "And then Mike got hired, and I talked to the wife 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 and McCarthy spent 13 seasons together, winning a Super Bowl in 2010 and reaching the playoffs for a run of eight successive years. Their relationship had run its course by the end, and McCarthy got fired after a 4-7-1 start in 2018.

The player and coach are now at much different places in their respective careers. Rodgers told The Athletic's Michael Silver that "absence makes the heart grow much fonder, in this case" while referring to McCarthy.

The four-time MVP might also be driven to write a different ending for his career than the Steelers' AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans. He went 17-of-33 for 146 and one interception in a result that took some shine off Pittsburgh's 10-7 finish and AFC North title.

▶️ Full Texans-Steelers Recap

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Rodgers revealed to Silver he had been suffering from flu-like symptoms leading up to the game.

Whereas he waffled in the past as to his playing status, the 42-year-old has said he fully expects 2026 to be his farewell to the NFL. Knowing that from the start is probably helping him approach everything with a different perspective.