Shortly after signing his latest one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers said 2026 would be his final season.
“Yes. This is it,” Rodgers said to reporters on May 20.
So, this could be his “Last Dance” of sorts.
Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr isn’t buying it though.
Orr predicts this won’t be Rodgers’ final season — just his last one with the Steelers.
“With gap-year needs potentially developing for the Rams and Vikings, among other teams with head coaches Rodgers admires and would like to work with, the quarterback will walk away from Pittsburgh after a nine-win, non-playoff campaign and into a summer of exploring other interests before eventually landing in training camp with either the Packers, Rams, Vikings, 49ers or Cardinals,” Orr writes.
Even with the Steelers shoring up major areas of need with the additions of wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., running back Rico Dowdle and cornerback Jamel Dean and Rodgers reuniting with head coach Mike McCarthy, Orr believes Pittsburgh will come up short in its bid for the playoffs.
Orr has the Baltimore Ravens winning the AFC North under new head coach Jesse Minter, and he also has Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback Joe Burrow winning the NFL’s MVP award.
As for Rodgers and the Steelers, he isn’t expecting much in 2026. Nine wins, no playoffs, clearly no AFC North title, and another offseason with the Steelers searching for the next starting quarterback.
For Pittsburgh’s sake, hopefully that search for its next starting quarterback centers on the 2027 NFL Draft with a promising crop of quarterbacks coming through the pipeline. Or one of rookie Drew Allar or second-year pro Will Howard develops into a viable starting option that the Steelers can roll into 2027 with at the most important position in sports.
Right now, though, based on Rodgers’ comments about the 2026 season, it’s hard to believe he will run it back in 2027 — and sign elsewhere to do so.
That’s why they call it a bold prediction though.
