At the start of the season, everyone, including Aaron Rodgers, was quite certain of 2025 being the 42-year-old quarterback’s final season. However, after a season-defining performance in a storied rivalry win over the Baltimore Ravens that put the Pittsburgh Steelers safely at the top of the AFC North division, this may not be the end of the story after all. Steelers’ former QB, Ben Roethlisberger, certainly believes so.

“If they get to the Super Bowl, he’ll come back. If he thinks they’re that close,” Roethlisberger said on the latest episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.

The claim, although too early to be a fruitful prediction, could have some weight to it. Rodgers himself, however, has been resolute publicly about how he wants his career to end.

“I was there for 18 years. 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,” Rodgers said earlier this year that if and when he does retire, it will be as a member of the franchise that molded him.

The Super Bowl champ’s ending in Green Bay was complicated and sudden. However, he reiterated that he does not carry any bitterness toward the organization. In fact, when Pittsburgh hosted the Packers in Week 8, he viewed the matchup as anything but revenge.

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The fact is, his legacy in Green Bay remains unquestioned: Super Bowl champion, 10-time Pro Bowler, and four-time MVP. His 18-year tenure in Green Bay produced some of the most prolific quarterback plays in NFL history.

In contrast, his journey since then has been uneven: a pair of official seasons with the New York Jets, one effectively lost to an Achilles tear, and his current chapter in Pittsburgh, where he’s now led the Steelers to a 4-2 start (after 6 games) while completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 1,270 yards, 14 touchdowns, and five interceptions. But through all that, Rodgers has made it clear that “home” remains Green Bay.

That clarity makes Roethlisberger’s comments even more interesting. Rodgers has been quite transparent that this could be his last season, but Sunday’s effort against Baltimore created an alternate reality.

After a month of struggles, a nagging wrist injury, and five straight subpar outings, Rodgers finally broke through. It was the kind of effort that can change narratives, and maybe retirement plans, overnight.

Interestingly, if Rodgers still wishes to end it all this season in Pittsburgh, where he landed out of respect for head coach Mike Tomlin, he still has a way to retire as a Packer. And we don’t need to flip through the pages of any history book for an example.

Just look at how Rob Gronkowski officially retired as a Patriot recently.

In mid-November, the legendary tight end, who ended his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, signed a one-day contract with New England to officially end his pro football journey as a Patriot. The Foxborough icon will also be eligible for the Patriots Hall of Fame next season and is already sure that his fans there will make him a first ballot suggestion. If needed, Rodgers can do the same in Wisconsin.

But for now, the recently turned 42-year-old is ensuring his tenure with the current team is writing a history in itself. Already, for the first time in weeks, Rodgers looked physically sharp and mentally composed and completely capable of leading a postseason push.

Steelers QB dominates Ravens to revive season and silence doubters

Rodgers’ resurgence against the Ravens was a season-saving performance the Steelers desperately needed to wrest back control of the AFC North race. Before Week 14, a five-game run saw him average just 163.2 passing yards per start to go with an 83.5 passer rating. However, in the crucial 27-22 win over the division rivals, he exploded for 284 yards, one rushing and passing TD, and several explosive plays on a critical road victory over the Ravens.

It was precisely the kind of quarterbacking Pittsburgh had been missing and desperately needed. He opened the game with a 52-yard strike to DK Metcalf on the Steelers’ first offensive snap. A few moments later, he muscled his way into the end zone on a one-yard scramble, scoring his first rushing touchdown since 2022.

Rodgers was met with pressure and physicality from the 14th-best league defense, but time and again, he answered with a level of downfield accuracy that has been largely absent this season.

The command of the offense, the improvisational spark, and the willingness to challenge coverage that Rodgers brought with him turned a stagnant Steelers passing attack into an explosive one.

At 7–6, Pittsburgh now controls its own destiny in the AFC North, and if Rodgers can approximate even some of this over the final month, the Steelers will take on the feel of a legitimate playoff threat. But again, sustainability remains the looming question.

Rodgers’ big-play heroics masked broader offensive inconsistencies, and explosive passing plays are among the NFL’s least predictable metrics. It may be a little unrealistic to expect repeated outbursts at age 42. And after everything is said and done, he just might want to hand up his cleats after the season.