AARON RODGERS REVERSES RETIREMENT PLAN AFTER STEELERS HIRE MCCARTHY

Aaron Rodgers has confirmed he reconsidered retirement after the Pittsburgh Steelers appointed Mike McCarthy as head coach. The 42-year-old quarterback told SiriusXM that he had been "content in walking away" from football before McCarthy's hiring prompted him to reconsider. Rodgers signed a one-year contract with the Steelers worth up to $25 million on 16 May. He stated that the prospect of reuniting with McCarthy motivated his decision to continue playing.

Rodgers and McCarthy spent more than a decade together at the Green Bay Packers, where they won Super Bowl XLV and developed one of the NFL's most successful quarterback-coach partnerships. Rodgers had previously indicated in 2025 that the year would "pretty sure" be his last season. He acknowledged that retirement had crossed his mind during each of the previous three offseasons and expressed a desire for time away from football to start a family. The Steelers reached the playoffs in Rodgers' first year with the team in 2025, performing as contenders under his leadership.

Mike Tomlin, the former Pittsburgh head coach, commented on McCarthy's appointment, stating that McCarthy possessed "an awesome resume" and that "the confetti has rained down on him before with his current quarterback, Aaron Rodgers." Tomlin added that "there is no substitute for shared success" between the two men. Rodgers will now enter his 22nd NFL season with Pittsburgh.