Aaron Rodgers says 2026 will be his last season

Aaron Rodgers said on May 20 that the 2026 NFL season will be his last, giving the Pittsburgh Steelers clarity on a question that had hovered over his return. The 42-year-old quarterback told reporters in Pittsburgh that there will not be a 23rd season after this one. “This is it,” Rodgers said when asked if 2026 would be his final year. Multiple outlets, including NFL.com and CBS Pittsburgh, reported the remarks from Steelers organized team activities, and the Indiana Gazette published an interview with Rodgers on May 21 carrying the same retirement quote. ### When did Rodgers actually say it? Wednesday, May 20, was the day Rodgers made the declaration in Pittsburgh during his first news conference since agreeing to a one-year deal to return to the Steelers. AP-based reports carried by several outlets said Rodgers was asked directly whether this would be his final season and answered without hesitation. (nfl.com) Thursday, May 21, was when the Indiana Gazette interview cited in the card appeared online. That publication matched the wording reported elsewhere, including Rodgers’ line, “This is it,” and his description of 2026 as his 22nd NFL season. ### What does this settle for Pittsburgh? (wane.com) The Pittsburgh Steelers now know Rodgers’ return is a one-season decision, not an open-ended one. NFL.com reported that Rodgers had been unsure whether he would even play a 22nd season before deciding to come back. That matters because Rodgers’ status had lingered as an offseason question. (msn.com) News reports this week described his return as a one-year arrangement, and his retirement timeline removes the possibility of another year of public uncertainty over whether he would continue playing. (nfl.com) ### Why did Rodgers come back for one more year? Mike McCarthy was part of Rodgers’ explanation for returning. NFL.com reported that Rodgers said the hiring of McCarthy, his former coach in Green Bay, helped convince him to play again after Mike Tomlin’s departure. Rodgers said he appreciated the chance Tomlin gave him last year, but McCarthy’s arrival changed his thinking about one more season. (nytimes.com) The decision caps a career that began in 2005 and has included four NFL Most Valuable Player awards and a Super Bowl title with the Packers, according to reports on his announcement. Those career markers are why coverage of the decision has framed 2026 as the closing season of a likely Hall of Fame résumé. (nfl.com) ### How firm does this sound compared with past Rodgers comments? “This is it” was more definitive than Rodgers’ language a year earlier. NFL.com said Rodgers had described 2025 in June last year as “pretty sure” to be his final run, leaving himself room to reconsider. On May 20, he did not use that kind of qualifier. (sports.yahoo.com) The difference is notable because Rodgers has often left future decisions open until late in the process. This time, the public answer came before the season began, and it came in direct response to a retirement question at practice. ### What comes next? The next public step is the 2026 Steelers season, with Rodgers entering training camp and the regular season under a stated end date. (nfl.com) The Indiana Gazette interview published May 21 and Rodgers’ May 20 comments in Pittsburgh are the clearest primary public markers of that plan so far. (msn.com) (wane.com)