While we don’t know if Aaron Rodgers‘ pick-six to the Houston Texans in the NFL playoffs will go down as his final pass in the NFL, it’s becoming clear that it was his final pass as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
On the day the divisional round for the playoffs is about to begin, news broke that points to the future Hall of Fame quarterback either retiring or signing with a new franchise in the offseason.
Per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the 42-year-old QB is not expected to return to Pittsburgh following a positive experience that ended bittersweet with the stepping down of head coach Mike Tomlin.
Rodgers was a huge champion of Tomlin, who was one of the key reasons why he signed with the Steelers in the offseason.
The two had a close relationship, and it was reported that after Tomlin’s locker room announcement that he was stepping down, Rodgers broke down and apologized for how everything had gone.
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Without Tomlin, it was always a long shot for the former Green Bay Packers legend to return, but today’s news seems to confirm the suspicion held across the league.
While not anywhere near his peak form, Rodgers put up good numbers this season, with 3,322 yards thrown with 24 touchdowns for a team with a less-than-desirable offensive cast around him.
If Rodgers doesn’t retire, look for the Minnesota Vikings, a team the QB had lengthy conversations with during the offseason, to be a top choice.
While Minnesota passed on Rodgers because it wanted to fully support the rookie signal caller, J.J. McCarthy, that protection has dissolved after the former Michigan Wolverine struggled mightily on the field and with injuries this past campaign.