Aaron Rodgers' Final Season Prediction: Steelers' 2026 Outlook

Aaron Rodgers has made it clear that the 2026 season will indeed be the final chapter of his Hall of Fame-worthy career.

What happened?

After saying last summer that he was "pretty sure" that the 2025 season would be his last, Aaron Rodgers has confirmed that the 2026 season will be his final season in the NFL. Rodgers' retirement will officially signal the end of a prolific passing era that included himself, Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, and Cam Newton.

Why it matters for Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers gets an early start on his final season, having made up his mind on the upcoming season a month earlier than he had the previous offseason. This allowed him to take part in OTAs and minicamp, where he got reacquainted with new head coach Mike McCarthy's offense and worked with his teammates, including running back Rico Dowdle, veteran wideout Michael Pittman, and rookie wideout Germie Bernard.

What comes next?

The Steelers' offense made impressive strides after an inauspicious start last season, but it never got consistently on track, a fact that came to a head during January's wild card playoff loss to the Houston Texans. This year, instead of essentially starting from scratch on the first day of training camp, the Steelers' offense laid down the foundation in OTAs. That shouldn't be overlooked.

The Steelers have shifted gears in terms of their coach, hiring Mike McCarthy, an offensive coach with previous NFL head coaching experience, including a Super Bowl win with the Packers and three consecutive 12-win seasons in Dallas. McCarthy's track record and his reputation as a quarterback whisperer were the two main reasons why he got the job.

Rodgers will have one last ride with the Steelers, whom he helped lead to a division title during his first season in the black and gold. And while last season was generally considered a success, there are several reasons why Rodgers and the Steelers could be even better in 2026.

category: player_focus