Aaron Rodgers enjoyed his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But did he enjoy it enough to come back for another season to play under former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy?
The last memory of Rodgers in a Steelers uniform is him throwing a pick-six in a blowout loss to the Houston Texans in the first round of the AFC playoffs.
While Rodgers appears to be leaning towards playing another year instead of retiring, it’s no guarantee, and it’s unlikely he returns to Pittsburgh.
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Although all reports from teammates and Rodgers himself indicated he clicked well with the franchise and its players, there might be one major factor holding him back from returning in 2026.
Not the coach. Not the players. Not the ownership.
The field.
“Just seeing the response from the fans, and how much they loved the black and gold,” Rodgers in a recent interview with Pat McAfee. “And then, Acrisure [Stadium], other than the field surface itself, is a great place to play.”
Rodgers doubled down on the proclamation, saying that he wasn’t just saying things. McAfee backed him up on the field review, saying that everyone in the NFL knows how bad the playing surface is in Pittsburgh.
In the most recent ESPN leak of the NFL team report cards voted on by players, the Steelers were rated the worst organization by their own players.
The worst playing surface. The worst locker room. The worst conditions. While the personnel, like the coaches, received good-to-great grades, the ownership and facilities were torn apart by the Steelers players.
Although owner Art Rooney II is investing in a new grass surface and hoping to change his team’s reputation, by the time that new field is ready, Rodgers might already be wearing a new uniform.