Aaron Rodgers says there's 'zero debate' 2026 will be his final NFL season

For the past half-decade or so, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has taken his time each offseason to determine whether he's going to play another year. This time around, however, Rodgers will skip all that ceremony. This will be the 42-year-old's final NFL season, he definitively confirmed Tuesday.

When asked about his NFL future, Rodgers said there was "zero debate" this was it. After the 2026 NFL season, he's retiring, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

Rodgers said he thought last season was going to be his final one for a bit, but he changed his mind once the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy. Rodgers and McCarthy have history together, as the two won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.

"I thought last year might be it," Rodgers said after the Pittsburgh Steelers' conditioning test, echoing the same sentiment he expressed in May that the 2026 season would be his last. "And then Mike [McCarthy] 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."

DK Metcalf, however, wasn't necessarily buying Rodgers' willingness to hang it up after the season. Metcalf said it was possible Rodgers would change his mind if things went extremely well for him and the team in 2026.

But that's when Rodgers shut down any talk about playing beyond this season, per Pryor.

"No," the four-time MVP said, shaking his head. "Zero debate. Zero."

At 42, Rodgers is no longer in his prime. He hasn't received MVP votes in four seasons.

But that hasn't stopped him from putting up solid numbers. Since 2022, Rodgers has thrown for 78 touchdowns and 30 interceptions. He tossed 24 of those touchdowns last season, helping lead the Steelers to a 10-6 record and an appearance in the postseason.

But another early exit ended any chance of Rodgers winning another championship, and ended longtime Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's tenure with the club. At that point, it looked as if Rodgers was gone, as the quarterback spoke glowingly about Tomlin last season.

The McCarthy hire changed Rodgers' mind … but only for one more season. At 42, Rodgers doesn't have anything left to accomplish in the NFL. He'll come back for one last ride with his old coach, but that's all he's willing to give, no matter how well things go in 2026.