Aaron Rodgers revealed today that 2025 will likely be his final season in the NFL. He signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month, and before that, retirement rumors had already been surfacing online, so this recent bombshell isn’t all that surprising.
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“I’m pretty sure this is my last season, and that’s why we did a one-year deal,” Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show. “Steelers didn’t have to put any extra years on that or anything… I’ve played twenty years and I’ve enjoyed it. There’s no better way to finish it than with Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Being 41 years old and less than two years removed from his torn Achilles injury, can we really blame Rodgers? He’s already proven himself with countless accolades, even a Super Bowl ring. And that headline-making part of his shenanigans might end next year, too.
Rodgers said that when he hangs up the cleats, he’ll become a ghost, referring to his plans to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile. He revealed that his wife—who, according to most reports, is named Brittani—is a very private person, with no social media or public presence. However, after marrying the QB, she has been facing the wrath of the media.
Rodgers hinted that paparazzi have been stalking him and his wife. They’ve even reached out to his family members (and other close to the QB) for comment or pictures of Rodgers’ wife. Things like that, he found abrupt and frustrating.
Rodgers wants these intrusions to end, and has challenged the sports world and media to leave him out of the conversation once he calls it a day.
“Try and leave me out of the conversation, sports world,” Rodgers said. “Try and just leave me out, my personal life, my professional life, try not to talk about me. Try not to still be relevant for the next six weeks, five weeks, whatever it is.”
“The problem is, I was walking on the beach [again recently] with Mike and Apolo, and I was like fu**in paparazzi is probably up there [like last time], and I said, ‘look, there’s a guy right there,’ we just flipped him off.”
At the end of the day, Rodgers is human like everyone else, and being a more low-key guy, he just wants his privacy respected. At the same time, as someone who makes weekly appearances on The Pat McAfee Show and is known for being outspoken and blunt, it’s tough to keep the spotlight off him — the media is constantly trying to get a story out of him.
Even when he retires, Rodgers likely won’t be completely left alone by the public/media, and part of it is due to his mysterious/controversial personality.
