Steelers Now
Right now, Aaron Rodgers is the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he seems to be really enjoying a bit of a career resurgence in Black and Gold after two wayward seasons with the New York Jets. But he’s made it very clear this week, ahead of Sunday’s game with the Green Bay Packers, that there’s a big piece of his heart that’s still in Green Bay.
Rodgers spent the first 18 years of his 21-season NFL career with the Packers, and he said on Thursday that one day, he’d like to retire as a Packer, as well.
“I was there for 18 years,” Rodgers said while taking the almost unheard-of step of making himself available to the visiting media during game week on Thursday. “Regardless of when I hang it up, that’s the bulk of my career. I’ll retire a Packer and see what happens after that. I’ve got a lot of love for the organization and my time there. They asked this week is it a revenge game or whatever. What do I got to be avenging here? They made me a ton of money. I grew up there, spent some of the best years of my life there. I’ve got nothing but love for the organization.
“Damn near everything great in my life is because of my football career, and my football career starts and will end one day with Green Bay. So I’ve got a lot of love for all those memories and a lot of great friends I still carry with me to this day.”
Rodgers was asked on Wednesday if he felt that this was a revenge game, but he has consistently rejected that notion, saying that he knew his time in Green Bay was waning when he watched the progress of Jordan Love, who surpassed him in a similar fashion to Rodgers stepping out of the shadow of Brett Favre early in his career.
“I don’t have any animosity toward the organization,” Rodgers said. “Obviously I wish that things had been better in our last year there, but I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization. This is not a revenge game for me. … “I knew at some point there would be a change, and if I wanted to play, it’d probably have to be elsewhere. … I have nothing but love and appreciation for the fan base, for the city of Green Bay.”
Rodgers saying he wants to retire as a member of the Packers someday is one thing. When that may be is another, as reports have been swirling this week that the Steelers may be interested in bringing back the veteran for a 22nd NFL season in 2026. Rodgers’ current contract is set to expire at the end of this season — a campaign that he has said will probably be his last.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Aaron Rodgers Wants to Retire as a Member of the Packers
