At this point in the Aaron Rodgers saga, I’m not sure anybody knows much of anything. The decision seems to be between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants with the Minnesota Vikings also loosely linked to him as an option. But could there be an option behind door number four?
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport thinks retirement isn’t out of the question.
“I’m not a hundred percent sure. I think these are some decent, pretty good options. I could make a case for the Giants. I could make a case for the Steelers,” Rapoport said Friday via the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. “If he doesn’t like them, if he’s not a hundred percent committed, then he should definitely not do it. And so, to me, retirement should still be a consideration. I just don’t know that anything has been ruled out now.”
Could it be that weighing retirement as an option is the thing holding him up? It’s purely speculation, but it wouldn’t be that big of a shocker at 41 years old with an Achilles tear less than two years ago and a five-win season last year.
To me, it wouldn’t make any sense for Rodgers to go to the Giants. There is almost no chance of them being playoff contenders in 2025 based on their last couple seasons. He had more talent to work with while on the Jets. An argument could be made either way for the Steelers. They would at least give him very high odds of making it to the playoffs and then anything can happen.
If the Vikings are actually interested, which hasn’t been solidly reported as of yet, that would be a no-brainer for Rodgers. Sam Darnold managed to lead them to a 14-3 regular season record. Their roster is ready to go and would give him a very good chance of finishing his career on a high note.
If the Steelers and Giants are his only two options and he isn’t high on their chances of delivering him playoff success, could he just retire?
It seems like we have all been taking his intention to play in 2025 as a given, but that hasn’t actually been confirmed throughout the process. Albert Breer reporting that Rodgers left the impression of unfinished business in the NFL to Jets brass is the closest we’ve gotten to hearing about his 2025 intentions. But even then, it was labeled as a “tentative” plan to play in 2025.
For what it’s worth, A.J. Hawk, Rodgers’ friend and colleague on The Pat McAfee Show, said he would be surprised if he ends up retiring. But he also admitted that it can’t be fully ruled out.
If Rodgers calls it a career, the Steelers are left in a very awkward predicament. Who knows if Russell Wilson would even want to come back at this point.
