When Aaron Rodgers signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, the sense was this would be his final go-round. The veteran quarterback even hinted as much during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show after signing with the franchise.

But as Pittsburgh gets ready for its NFL Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans, that feeling could be shifting. In fact, should Rodgers choose to play another season in 2026, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported the Steelers “would be more than open” to bringing him back.

Rodgers signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh this offseason, which seemed to indicate he could walk away after 21 seasons in the NFL. But he seemed to dismiss the retirement talk after the Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens, and Rapoport said the Steelers would have interest in keeping him.

“What we do not know is whether or not Aaron Rodgers will be playing his final game,” Rapoport said Saturday on NFL GameDay Morning. “Obviously, if he wins, definitely not. If he loses, potentially. And he started this season with the thought that he would retire after the season. He said that on The Pat McAfee Show. That has been his mindset. In the locker room a couple weeks ago, though, [he] opened the door potentially to returning for 2026. Certainly, he’s playing well enough.

“My understanding is if Rodgers did want to return for next season, the Steelers – who have really enjoyed the experience – would be more than open to it. Just hope you get an answer sooner rather than later, like they did last offseason.”

What Aaron Rodgers previously said about 2026

Aaron Rodgers, 42, put together a strong regular season with the Steelers to help the franchise make the postseason. He threw for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns, to seven interceptions, across 16 starts. He missed one game due to injury after he broke his wrist, but was otherwise healthy.

In the regular-season finale against the Ravens, Rodgers threw for 294 yards and a touchdown while also recording his longest rush of the season at 20 yards. After the game, he received a question about his future and whether he was “riding off into the sunset” after the year. He deflected it, instead focusing on the game that just took place.

“No, I’m just, it’s been a grinding year,” Rodgers said. “And the two years before that were tough as well. So it’s been an absolute blessing to be here with these fans and this organization and Mike [Tomlin] and the leadership that we’ve got with these guys.

“I think we found that little bit of something special, which is belief, tonight on the offensive side. And I’m proud of our guys with the way we responded in the fourth quarter.”