How Old Is Aaron Rodgers? A Look at the Steelers QB’s Age, NFL Seasons, All-Time Ranks, More

Aaron Rodgers turned 42 years old on Dec. 2, 2025, making him the oldest quarterback in the 2026 NFL Playoffs (and the oldest in the league until Philip Rivers signed with the Indianapolis Colts). The Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller has spent 21 seasons in the league since the Green Bay Packers selected him 24th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft, and while retirement remains a lingering question, he continues to produce.

Rodgers and the Steelers face the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round on Monday night at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh’s first home playoff game since 2020. For a quarterback who claimed this would “probably” be his final season when he signed with Pittsburgh in June, his tone has shifted considerably.

Aaron Rodgers’ NFL Career Timeline and Path to Pittsburgh

Rodgers spent 18 seasons in Green Bay before the Packers traded him to the New York Jets in 2023. That tenure was a disaster as he tore his Achilles just four snaps into his Jets debut on Monday Night Football and then returned for a drama-filled, 5-win campaign in 2024. The Jets ultimately decided to move on, and Pittsburgh came calling last offseason.

Rodgers didn’t sign until June, and his one-year, $13.65 million contract reflected a quarterback that many thought was finished.

He wasn’t.

Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions this season while leading the Steelers to the AFC North title at 10-7. The numbers don’t match his MVP seasons in Green Bay and he ranked 29th among all quarterbacks in PFSN’s QB Impact metric, but he did enough to get Pittsburgh to the postseason.

His career numbers remain staggering: 66,274 passing yards (fifth all-time), 527 touchdown passes (fourth all-time), and the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history. Throw in four MVP awards, a Super Bowl ring, and 10 Pro Bowls, and it’s clear his resume speaks for itself.

“I care about winning. That’s why I’m here,” Rodgers said ahead of the playoffs. “Stats are what they are. The trends are what they are and those trends are—any trend is always meant to be broken at some point.”

Will Rodgers Return for a 22nd NFL Season?

Rodgers sounded certain about retirement in June. He told “The Pat McAfee Show” that this would “pretty sure” be his last season and framed the Steelers move as a farewell tour with a storied franchise.

“I played 20 freaking years. It’s been a long run, and I’ve enjoyed it,” Rodgers said in June after signing with Pittsburgh. “What better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL with Mike Tomlin?”

Six months later, that certainty has eroded.

“I’m 42, and I’m on a one-year deal. You know what the situation is,” Rodgers told reporters on Dec. 31. “Whenever the season ends, I’ll be a free agent. That’ll give me a lot of options if I still want to play — not a lot of options, but maybe one or two if I decide I still want to play.”

The Steelers want him back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. He reported that Pittsburgh would welcome back Rodgers for a 22nd season. Rodgers and Tomlin have developed a strong relationship, as the legendary quarterback recently explained.

“I’ve enjoyed my time with Mike immensely,” Rodgers said. “Mike is a phenomenal leader. He’s great in front of the room.”

After the Steelers’ dramatic Week 18 win over the Baltimore Ravens that clinched the division, NFL Films captured Rodgers embracing Tomlin on the field. “Thank you for bringing me here,” Rodgers said.

“You kidding me?” Tomlin responded. “Thank you for coming.”

Whether that gratitude extends into 2026 remains unclear. Rodgers will evaluate his body, consult with his wife, and decide how much he has left in the tank. He compared his current situation to his transition from Mike McCarthy to Matt LaFleur in Green Bay—a first-year offense that improved dramatically in Year 2.

“Any time you’re in a first-year offense, there’s always some growing pains,” Rodgers said. “You feel like if you had another year, what you could do.”

First, there’s a playoff run to consider. Pittsburgh hasn’t won a postseason game since 2016, and Rodgers hasn’t appeared in the playoffs since 2021. Both droughts could end Monday night against a Houston defense that ranked second in PFSN’s Defense Impact metric.

At 42, Rodgers isn’t supposed to be here. But he’s been defying expectations for two decades, and nothing about his career suggests he’s ready to stop.