Aaron Rodgers agrees to Steelers deal weeks after considering retirement

Aaron Rodgers has put retirement speculation to rest by inking a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, setting the stage for his 21st season in the NFL.

This comes after weeks of speculation and his previous expression of consideration about retirement.

Having spent 18 seasons in Green Bay and two years with the New York Jets, Rodgers arrives in Pittsburgh carrying a trophy case that includes four MVP honors and a Super Bowl ring. He has thrown for 62,952 yards throughout his career and found the end zone on 503 occasions.

According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, Rodgers notified Steelers executives on Thursday that he plans to touch down in Pittsburgh Friday to finalize the paperwork. The quarterback will join the team before their mandatory minicamp next week.

"Renegade A-Rod: Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers informed the #Steelers he'll fly to Pittsburgh on Friday and sign before next week's minicamp," Pelissero posted on X Thursday. "Finally, a done deal: Rodgers, 41, will play his 21st NFL season in black and gold."

Tom Pelissero

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Renegade A-Rod: Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers informed the #Steelers he’ll fly to Pittsburgh on Friday and sign before next week’s minicamp, sources tell The Insiders.

Finally, a done deal: Rodgers, 41, will play his 21st NFL season in black and gold.

Rodgers first met with the Steelers organization on Mar. 28, a visit coach Mike Tomlin later labeled “productive.” By early April, team president Art Rooney II suggested that things were approaching an agreement.

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Aaron Rodgers faces the task of learning a new playbook

Aaron Rodgers has finally found his new home in the NFL for the 2025 season. (Credits: IMAGN)

While Aaron Rodgers’s résume speaks for itself, adjusting to Pittsburgh’s offensive philosophy presents a clear challenge. Tom Clements - who coached Rodgers in Green Bay from 2006–2016 and returned as his quarterbacks coach in 2022 - expressed this warning. He said the change in terminology and personnel will demand more from the four-time NFL MVP than from the Steelers.

Clements also spent time on Pittsburgh’s coaching staff in the early 2000s, giving him familiarity with both sides. He expects Rodgers will eventually slot into Smith’s preferred under-center, play-action approach. This is quite different from the shotgun-heavy schemes that Aaron Rodgers has excelled in for most of his career.

"I think both will have to adapt a little bit, but I think he's gonna have to adapt more than the Steelers," Clements told 93.7 The Fan. "Arthur Smith has his offense. Terminology may be a lot different, and that would be hard, you have to be able to think in that new language. He's gonna have some learning to do."

Aaron Rodgers’s lone season with the Jets ended in mixed fashion. After blowing out his Achilles tendon on the very first drive of the 2024 campaign, he made a remarkable return and played all 17 games. Granted a clean bill of health late in the year, he posted 18 touchdowns against just four interceptions over New York’s final 10 contests, finishing with a 97.0 passer rating.

Despite those flashes of brilliance, the New York Jets stumbled to a 5–12 record, prompting front-office changes and the decision to move on from Rodgers.