After two decades as one of the NFL’s most prominent quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers has reportedly found a new home. According to NFL Network and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the 41-year-old free agent plans to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, marking a new chapter for both the four-time MVP and a team in urgent need of quarterback stability.

Rodgers is expected to report to minicamp next week. The move links two sides that appear to need each other. The Steelers, who last season cycled between Justin Fields and Russell Wilson, saw limited success. Fields helped secure a 4-2 start, but Wilson — despite a strong arm and prior Super Bowl win — failed to maintain momentum. The team dropped six of its last eight games, bowing out early in the playoffs. Pittsburgh hasn’t advanced past the first round since 2017.

Rodgers, for his part, needed a franchise willing to gamble on his recovery and pedigree. After tearing his Achilles tendon just four snaps into his 2023 debut with the New York Jets, he missed the remainder of the season. The Jets, who finished 5-12, opted for a full reset, informing Rodgers on February 13 that he would not be returning. At that point, his future — even his desire to continue playing — was unclear. “I just need a break to refresh, put my feet in the sand and see where I’m at after that,” Rodgers said on January 1.

 

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Throughout the offseason, speculation swirled around potential destinations. The Pat McAfee Show became a forum for updates, where Rodgers insisted he wasn’t stringing teams along. “I’ve been straight-up with these teams from the start about where I was at,” he said. “It ain’t about the money. I’ll play for $10 million. I never once said I need a multiyear deal.” He reportedly also considered Minnesota and the New York Giants, but both teams moved on while Rodgers deliberated.

In March, he met with the Steelers as part of his decision-making process. Now, it seems the two sides have reached an agreement.

Rodgers leaves behind a storied legacy. His 503 touchdown passes rank fifth all-time, while his 62,952 passing yards place him seventh in NFL history. After sitting behind Brett Favre in Green Bay for three seasons, Rodgers took over as starter in 2008 and led the Packers to a Super Bowl win just three years later. He went on to win MVP awards in 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021 — second only to Peyton Manning’s five.

At his peak, Rodgers was a uniquely efficient quarterback, known for his arm strength, precision, and low turnover rate. Only 1.4% of his 8,245 career pass attempts resulted in interceptions — the lowest such rate ever recorded. His best season came in 2011, when he passed for 45 touchdowns and just six interceptions, with a career-best 4,643 yards and a 9.2-yard average per attempt.

But Rodgers’ relationship with Green Bay began to fracture in 2020 after the team drafted quarterback Jordan Love instead of a wide receiver, a move that signaled a succession plan. Despite winning back-to-back MVPs after that, Rodgers described his future with the team as a “beautiful mystery.”

Off the field, Rodgers has drawn headlines for non-football reasons. In 2021, he concealed his COVID vaccination status, later tested positive, and was fined by the NFL for violating protocols. He has also openly discussed using ayahuasca, particularly during his 2020 and 2021 MVP seasons. Ahead of the 2023 free agency period, Rodgers went on a solo darkness retreat in Oregon. A documentary titled Enigma chronicled his unorthodox path and aired near the end of the 2024 NFL season.

His stint with the Jets never matched the hype. At his 2023 introductory press conference, Rodgers declared he wanted “to be part of a team that can win it all.” But the results fell far short of expectations. Now, he and the Steelers are hoping that together, they can finally deliver on those ambitions.