Aaron Rodgers agreed to a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth up to $25 million for the 2026 NFL season [1, 2]. The 42-year-old quarterback said this season will be his final one in the NFL [1, 2]. He will turn 43 on December 2, potentially becoming the sixth NFL quarterback to start at age 43 or older [1].

The Steelers chose to bring Rodgers back over starting veteran Mason Rudolph, second-year QB Will Howard, or rookie Drew Allar at quarterback [3, 2]. Former Steelers great Jerome Bettis praised the team’s competitive spirit for re-signing Rodgers. Bettis said, "The Steelers made a decision a while ago that they were not going to tank. They weren't going to be a team that was not competing for a championship every year. They stuck true to that, and that's part of why they wanted Aaron Rodgers to return" [3]. He also highlighted the importance of competing well for veteran defensive leader Cam Heyward, saying, "You owe it to [Cam Heyward] to be a competitive football team. They've got the kind of competitive spirit that they want to win, and I applaud that. And hopefully Aaron Rodgers can support that, and they can win" [3].

Bettis recently participated in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe and expressed excitement about Rodgers' final year. He said, "It was hoped, not necessarily expected, was hoped that he would consider coming back for one more year. Now it's an excitement in the air obviously knowing that it is his last year as well. We're in that space where we're excited about the upcoming season" and added, "You want to send him off well, but you also want to have a great season and look forward to the future. So, there's a lot of excitement around Aaron coming back for his last year" [2].

In the 2025 NFL season, Rodgers played in 16 games, completing 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions [1, 2]. The Steelers enter the 2026 season with an Over/Under win total of 8.5 and are projected by the SportsLine model to win approximately 8.7 games, holding a 42.4% chance of making the playoffs [1].

Rodgers is expected to start the Steelers’ season opener at home against the Atlanta Falcons on September 13, 2026 [1].