Aaron Rodgers used to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. However, he hasn’t been the best version of himself over the past few years. He’s 41 years old, and he tore his Achilles in 2023, so it isn’t surprising that Rodgers has declined. The Pittsburgh Steelers still believe in Rodgers, though. They signed him with the hope that he can help propel them to playoff success. While some would argue that Rodgers has to perform well this season, former NFL quarterback Cam Newton doesn’t think that’s true.
“I don’t think Aaron Rodgers has anything else to prove,” Newton said recently on his 4th and 1 podcast. “I don’t think he’s saying, ‘I have to win a Super Bowl.’ If he wins a Super Bowl, he’s retired. This very well may be Aaron Rodgers’ last hurrah. It would have been his last hurrah last year if it wasn’t so meh.
“If they would have went to the playoffs, if they would have went to the AFC Championship, the Super Bowl, he would have been able to say, ‘I’ve seen the mountaintop. I ain’t got it in me.’ Now, you get to a situation where it’s like, does he really have to perform? Because he’s a Band-Aid at this particular point. A quality Band-Aid.”
Newton’s analysis isn’t necessarily wrong. Had Rodgers led the New York Jets to a successful season last year, he might’ve been more open to retiring. He didn’t shut that idea down this offseason before signing with the Steelers.
Also, Rodgers is indeed a Band-Aid for the Steelers. He’s not their long-term solution at quarterback. Could he play for them beyond 2025? Potentially, but it likely wouldn’t be more than an extra year. Not many quarterbacks have continued to play well into their 40s. If Rodgers plays well this year, there’s no guarantee that he won’t regress in 2026.
Brett Favre’s tenure with the Minnesota Vikings is a great example. He joined them in 2009 at age 40, and Favre resurrected his career. He helped lead the Vikings to a 12-4 record, making a push for the Super Bowl.
The Vikings brought Favre back in 2010, and the results were much worse. Favre looked like a shell of his former self, throwing 11 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions in 13 games.
The Steelers could be in for a similar decline from Rodgers if they bring him back in 2026. However, like Favre in his older years, Rodgers is already bound for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Would a solid year with the Steelers add a ton to his legacy? Probably not, unless they win a championship.
That doesn’t mean that Rodgers has no motivation to play well this year. He could put a nice cherry on top of his great career, rather than retiring after an ugly year. He came back for a reason, and we’ll see if he can be an industrial-strength Band-Aid for the Steelers.
