Aaron Rodgers officially announced that he will be retiring after the 2026-2027 NFL season. The four-time MVP will go for one more year with his former coach Mike McCarthy. When asked by reporters Rodgers said, “This is it.”
Why Rodgers Returned
The return was aided by the fact that Rodgers would be reuniting with McCarthy,
“I love Mike [Tomlin], man,” Rodgers said. “I really appreciated the opportunity to come in last year and loved my experience with him. I thought, when he said he was stepping away … that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh. But when the decision came in to hire [McCarthy], I started opening my mind back up to coming back.”
Rodgers has tallied 66,274 yards, 527 TDs and 123 INTs on 65.1 percent passing across 264 games played. He has a regular-season record of 163-93-1 and is 12-11 in the playoffs. His interception percentage and passer rating currently are all-time NFL records.
Steelers QB Questions
The Steelers now have four quarterbacks on the roster with Rodgers, Drew Allar, Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. Brooke Pryor of ESPN believes the Steelers will only carry three quarterbacks into the season,
“After the second day of rookie minicamp on May 9, coach Mike McCarthy said that working with three quarterbacks is typical for his coaching style but having four would be “awesome.” However, a McCarthy-led team has never entered Week 1 with four quarterbacks on the team’s active roster, according to Elias Sports Bureau, and in 10 of 18 seasons as head coach, McCarthy’s teams have carried three quarterbacks into the season opener,” Pryor wrote.
McCarthy’s coaching history also shows that one of those QBs normally has NFL experience,
“Not only does McCarthy usually carry three quarterbacks, but most of the time on his rosters, one of the backups has already spent multiple years in the NFL. The exceptions came in his first and last seasons in Green Bay. In 2006, McCarthy entered Week 1 with Brett Favre, Rodgers and Ingle Martin in the quarterbacks room. Prior to his second season in 2006, Rodgers had appeared in just three games as a rookie and completed nine of 16 attempts with one interception. Martin, meanwhile, was selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2006 draft. He appeared in just one game — Week 17 — to take two kneel-downs,” Pryor wrote.
Mason Rudolph though seems like he could be the odd man out,
“While Rudolph has a higher floor thanks to his game experience, he has a known ceiling. The Steelers could stick with Allar and Howard because of their potential — and because they invested recent draft picks to acquire them. Rudolph is set to enter the second year of a two-year, $7.5 million deal. Moving on from Rudolph would save the Steelers $3 million in salary cap space. The Steelers could also make Rudolph available on the trade market and fetch a late-round draft pick for the veteran,” Pryor wrote.
Pryor also notes the possibility of Mason Rudolph being added to the practice squad incase he is needed by the Steelers or another team is interested in the veteran QB.
Either way the Steelers will know that 42-year old Aaron Rodgers will be the starting quarterback.
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