2 weeks Ago By Joseph McBride
Free agent Aaron Rodgers may choose to retire instead of signing for a new team ahead of the 2025 NFL season , with the veteran quarterback only willing to play if he has a chance of winning a Super Bowl . Rodgers is still yet to announce his future plans and the Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting for an update after he visited their facility on March 21 . Rodgers was also linked with other franchises such as the New York Giants and the Seattle Seahawks , but his patient approach has led to both organizations committing to Russell Wilson and Sam Darnold respectively .
After a disastrous two seasons with the New York Jets , it was assumed that Rodgers would be eager to end his NFL career on a more positive note. However, according to CBS Sports, Rodgers is likely to retire if he can't sign with a team that isn't a Super Bowl contender next season. On Wednesday, CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala claimed that Rodgers won't extend his legacy in the NFL for the sake of it, and will only return if there's a realistic chance of winning.
Kinkhabwala insisted Rodgers is "intellectually stimulated by more than football" and won't continue playing for the sake of it. The hesitance in Rodgers' decision has narrowed down his options, and the Steelers are the only known team waiting on his next move. Pittsburgh opted not to retain both Wilson and Justin Fields from last season, instead turning to free agency to explore other options.
The Steelers have already signed a quarterback after agreeing to bring back Mason Rudolph on a two-year, $8 million deal after his release in 2023. However, he is seen primarily as a backup with experience to offer if he's called upon, meaning that the Steelers still don't have a starting quarterback. Pittsburgh is consistent in the regular-season under head coach Mike Tomlin, as the Steelers have celebrated a winning record since he was hired in 2007.
However, the Steelers haven't won a postseason game since 2016, and their last Super Bowl appearance was in 2010, when they lost to Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. The Steelers have made some key offensive additions, and already have one of the best defensive units in the NFL. Former Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf was acquired in a trade along with a 2025 sixth-round pick, with a 2025 second-round pick and 2025 seventh-round pick heading in the other direction.
It remains to be seen whether Rodgers believes that the Steelers can be a contender with him as their quarterback, but franchise legend Ben Roethlisberger has a new theory. Rodgers' silence is becoming a concern for Pittsburgh, and Roethlisberger believes that there could be another team showing interest. On his ' Footbahlin ’ podcast, Roethlisberger entertained the idea of the New Orleans Saints being in for Rodgers after quarterback Derek Carr suffered a reported shoulder injury.
"My thought last week ...
was that, ‘Is there a chance that there's a team out there that we don’t know about yet that has a quarterback that’s maybe is injured?'" Roethlisberger said. "Then what news did we learn this week? We learned that Derek Carr has a shoulder injury and may miss the whole season ..
. That’s a new door that’s opened up in the saga." The Saints dominated the NFC South under former head coach Sean Payton, but have slumped since the 2022 season when Dennis Allen took over.
New Orleans finished 5-12 last season under interim head coach Darren Rizzi, making it highly unlikely that Rodgers would consider them as Super Bowl contenders anytime soon..
