Aaron Rodgers was closer to retirement than his return to the Pittsburgh Steelers might have suggested. The 42-year-old quarterback said he had reached a point where he was comfortable walking away from football before the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy.

“I was content in walking away, and then they hired Mike McCarthy,” Rodgers told SiriusXM. “And I was like, OK, maybe we need a full circle here. Me and Mike need a full circle here.”

Rodgers had spent a long time keeping fans guessing about whether or not he would come back. He’d already said in 2025 that the year would “pretty sure” be his last. But the Steelers went to the playoffs in his very first year with the team, and the team performed somewhat like a contender with him as quarterback. However, a good number of fans thought Rodgers might not return, because he is 42 years old. He’s spent 21 years in the NFL so far, a good enough number to call it a career.

Rodgers admitted that retirement had crossed his mind during each of the previous three offseasons. He’s also said he wants time away from football and hopes to start a family with his wife.

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The McCarthy factor changed everything. Rodgers and McCarthy spent more than a decade together in Green Bay, won Super Bowl XLV, and built one of the most successful quarterback-coach partnerships the NFL has seen. When McCarthy took over as Pittsburgh’s head coach after Tomlin left, Rodgers’ thinking shifted. Looking back at everything these two have achieved together, there is serious hope in Rodgers doing better than last year.

“He’s got an awesome resume,” Mike Tomlin said about McCarthy’s hiring. “The confetti has rained down on him before with his current quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. There is no substitute for shared success. Those waters run deep.”

On May 16, Rodgers signed a one-year contract, worth up to a reported $25 million. This time, though, Rodgers has made it clear: there is “zero debate” that 2026 will be his final NFL campaign.

“I think it’s just a lot of weight off his shoulders right now,” wide receiver DK Metcalf told ESPN. “He’s just going out there playing free.”

So the Steelers did not simply convince an aging quarterback to play another year. McCarthy’s arrival reopened a door that Rodgers thought he was ready to close, and now he gets one final season to see where that reunion can take him.