
Apparently Aaron Rodgers did not see his shadow during his annual offseason darkness retreat. That's because the longtime quarterback has announced he will retire following the upcoming NFL season.
Rodgers is returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second season with that franchise, and his 22nd in the league. He seeks to return the team to the playoffs in what will (apparently) be his final bow.

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The former NFL MVP only recently revealed that he would return to the Steelers to helm their offense. In the 2025 season, he threw for 3,332 yards, his lowest output in a full season. But he satisfied the task of being a game manager: tossing only seven interceptions and helping Pittsburgh to make the playoffs, where it was bounced immediately.
The news that Rodgers is playing one final season will be welcomed by his detractors, some of whom are Steelers fans hoping this storied team can return to the glory they enjoyed under previous head coaches and quarterbacks. The 2026 Steelers feel like an AirBNB unit: someone is living here, but it's not the people who own the place. The new head coach is Mike McCarthy, a retread that has a chummy history with Rodgers.
Odds for Rodgers final season are popping up in your favorite sportsbooks: touchdown passes, yardage, team wins, and whether the Steelers can get to the Super Bowl for the Rodgers finale.
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Rodgers will be seeking to stay healthy and top 3,000 yards passing for a 16th time in his career.
I checked six sports betting apps, and none of them currently have TD pass odds for Rodgers. That may change as we approach mini-camps and the preseason.
Stay realistic Steelers fans: even if Rodgers can throw for 3,200 yards, it may not mean success. Not since 2021 has he averaged as much as 250 yards per game, and Aaron's Passer Rating has been under 95 for each of the last four seasons. He is not an elite QB anymore. Instead, he's a fairly immobile curmudgeon with a plus arm who usually avoids mistakes. Rodgers won't win games with WOW plays like he used to, but he typically keeps the offense away from bad missteps.
How has the news that Rodgers is coming back changed the win expectations for Pittsburgh? These odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook:
Prior to Rodgers agreeing on a deal tom come back to the Steelers, win total odds for 2026 were also O/U 7.5 and roughly the same (-115/+115).
How appropriate it would be if Rodgers and the Steelers somehow plodded their way to Super Bowl LXI. The game will be played in Inglewood, his native California.
But, the Steelers will have plenty of challenges to even make the playoffs. The team's defense will likely have far more to say about a trip to the postseason than anything Rodgers' ancient arm will.
Pittsburgh shares a division with heavyweight Baltimore. The Ravens have Lamar Jackson, who is still seeking his first appearance in a Super Bowl. Baltimore will have a more favorable schedule this season, and following a good draft and with the arrival of John Harbaugh, they will be favorites. More on that later.
Oddsmakers see the Steelers and Vikings as about the same for making the NFL Playoffs. That's appropriate considering the Steelers ranked 26th in the NFL last season in first downs, and 25th in yards gained.
By comparison, the Baltimore Ravens, who also have a new head coach, are the favorites at +475. The Cincinnati Bengals are +1100, according to Bet365, and a much better wager to garner the title of champions of the AFC than Aaron & The Steelers.
It feels like FanDuel and other sportsbooks are tempting fans to bet on Rodgers and the Steelers. The chance to win $7,500 on a $100 wager is tantalizing. Until you remember the Steelers haven't won a playoff game since before Donald Trump was inaugurated THE FIRST TIME.
For all his personal successes and publicity, Rodgers is a remarkably average performer in the postseason. He's only 11-11 as a starter in the NFL Playoffs. He has a combined 28 interceptions and fumbles in 22 postseason starts. His teams lost the conference title game three times when it was favored. Among QBs who have started at least 20 postseason games, Rodgers has the lowest win percentage. He has fewer Super Bowl wins than Eli Manning and Jim Plunkett, and just as many as Trent Dilfer.
The 2026 season will probably be the last we see of Rodgers, who is undeniably one of the most original characters in the history of the league. But whether it will be just a grand farewell tour or a final run at a title, remains to be seen.
