Once Aaron Rodgers eventually hangs up his cleats and rides off into the sunset, the NFL world will never see him again.
The quarterback, 42, is set to suit it up for a 22nd season in the NFL after signing a $25 million contract to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers this week.
But this coming season will, finally, be his last. After that, the veteran will be bidding goodbye to football – and the public eye – for good.
Rodgers confirmed to reporters during the Steelers’ OTA workouts that he will be retiring at the end of the 2026 season.
And while his quarterback comrades, such as Tom Brady, have pursued a high-profile retirement, fans should not expect Rodgers to spend a second longer in the spotlight than he needs to.
A source has revealed to the Daily Mail that Rodgers will shun a post-football career in the public eye, instead retreating to a role as a family man per his promise to mystery wife, Brittani, with whom he discreetly tied the knot last year.
Aaron Rodgers will step away from the public eye when he retires at the end of the season
The 42-year-old signed a $25 million contract to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers this week
‘After this season, don’t expect to see much of Aaron Rodgers in the public eye,’ the insider shared.
‘Once his career ends, he plans to step away from that world almost entirely. Outside of a future Hall of Fame appearance or maybe the occasional Kentucky Derby sighting, he has no interest in television work or staying in the spotlight.
‘His focus is fully shifting toward life as a husband and, hopefully, a father, regardless of how this final season plays out. Even if an injury cuts things short, his decision is already made. It’s a promise he made to both himself and his wife.’
Rodgers’ younger brother Jordan, a former Bachelorette contestant with whom the quarterback shares a notoriously contemptuous relationship, serves as a college football analyst for ESPN.
Yet, the insider stressed that Rodgers, who has suited up for the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets over the course of his glittering career, has no intention of following his estranged sibling into the broadcast booth.
They added: ‘His brother does commentary, but Aaron wants nothing to do with that. He doesn’t want the analyst’s life. When he steps away, he has to do it cold turkey and not be involved anymore because he will miss it too much and will also take him away from his personal life.’
While a career in front of the camera is seemingly out of the question, that does not mean that other pursuits are on the table for the polarizing signal caller.
Rodgers is a co-founder of AthleteAgent.com, a digital platform that allows businesses to connect with their favorite athletes and teams for endorsement deals.
Rodgers will not be following the likes of Tom Brady (pictured) into the broadcast booth
The signal caller’s brother Jordan, pictured with wife JoJo Fletcher, is an ESPN analyst
The site, which boasts the largest database of professional sports agents, has already helped connect brand giants such as Coca Cola, Netflix and Goldman Sachs with elite athletes.
And Sean O’Brien, CEO, and Ryan Rottman, COO, are optimistic that Rodgers will apply his 20-year experience of the ‘locker room environment’ to the business.
‘Publicly, he’s announced that he probably won’t be broadcasting and will lead more of a private life so my guess would be that he still helps his businesses behind-the-scenes, but he’s probably going to lead a much more private life than a typical former NFL quarterback would,’ O’Brien told the Daily Mail.
He added: ‘As CEO, I’d probably try to recruit him to take a more active role at a C-level position and be more involved just because he’ll have the time to do that. His insight is incredible having this 20-plus year career in the NFL at the highest level.’
Rottman echoed his partner’s desires as he praised the four-time MVP’s business acumen in addition to his skill on the football field.
‘Not only is he one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met – very genuine, and also just one of the guys,’ Rottman said. ‘Like, we would go bowling and go ride bikes, outdoor flyfish – do all the fun outdoor activities. He’s a normal guy that just happens to be one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
‘But on top of that, he has such a great business acumen and is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. I take it that to be that kind of caliber of a quarterback, you have to be.’
Yet, before Rodgers transforms from field general to entrepreneur, Rottman insists the quarterback has one last shot to go out on top.
Actor Ryan Rottman (pictured) is COO of AthleteAgent.com a company co-founded by Rodgers
The quarterback stunned fans when he unveiled a wedding band on his finger last summer
He added: ‘I have so much respect for Rodgers. We’re a couple of months apart in age. We’re both 42 and the fact that he’s getting out there, taking snaps and getting hit and just even the workout regimen that they do – I don’t know that I could do at 42 – so it’s pretty impressive and hoping that he could go out on a high note with a Super Bowl ring.’
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail’s source insisted that post-football funds will not be a challenge for ‘frugal’ Rodgers, making the decision to walk away from the NFL for good that bit easier.
They claimed that Rodgers’ decision to suit up for one last ride was far from financially motivated with the former Super Bowl winner making the decision to return for a final season with his wife’s blessing.
‘His wife is on board with this decision,’ the insider insisted. ‘They both came to the conclusion that he will make this season his last. It was more because he still believes he has something to give.
‘Money is awesome, but that was a close second place for the reason to return; he wants to be on the field. He wasn’t finished. He believes that the Steelers have a great chance to win.’
Rodgers’ wife Brittani has remained one of the NFL’s greatest mysteries with her identity still unknown over 12 months on from their secret wedding.
He first revealed in June last year that he had been married for ‘a couple of months’, placing the wedding in around March or April 2025, but he was scant on details.
Rodgers declined to name who he married, although he said in a December 2024 episode of the Pat McAfee Show that he was dating someone named Brittani, who was a ‘private person,’ at the time.
The four-time MVP was previously in a relationship with actress Shailene Woodley
Rodgers flashes his bold wedding ring during a post-game press conference last season
He has never been seen in public with his wife, who remains one of the NFL’s biggest mysteries, with even his teammates and their partners describing her as a ‘phantom.’
Rodgers had admitted he thought he would call it a day when the 2025 campaign ended with a playoff loss to the Houston Texans and Mike Tomlin stepped down as Pittsburgh’s head coach.
Yet, the Steelers’ hiring of new head coach Mike McCarthy, who led Rodgers and the Packers to Super Bowl glory in 2011, and the promise of a ‘full-circle moment’ lured him back to Pittsburgh – even if other landing spots across the league threatened to turn his head.
‘The addition of Mike McCarthy as coach really helped Aaron decide to give it one more shot,’ the source confirmed to the Daily Mail.
‘Once Mike Tomlin was let go, Aaron started questioning whether coming back to the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers still made sense. He wanted to keep playing, but if not for the familiarity and comfort level with Mike McCarthy, he probably would have either looked at another team or seriously considered retirement.’
They revealed that Rodgers was even keeping an eye on Tomlin’s next steps with his decision hinging on whether the coach would land a new gig elsewhere in the NFL.
Yet, unlike Rodgers, Tomlin ultimately made the switch to television, joining NBC as a studio analyst to Sunday Night Football.
‘Once everything fell into place, it became clear the Steelers truly wanted Rodgers, and that made him feel good and wanted,’ the insider continued. ‘Even with retirement feeling closer than ever – especially with starting a family very much on his mind – Aaron still felt like he had one last itch to scratch. And that will be this year.’
He will reunite with new Steelers coach Mike McCarthy after they won a Super Bowl in 2011
Mike Tomlin left his position as head coach of the Steelers following their postseason exit
Rodgers’ $25m contract for 2026 is almost double what the Steelers paid him last year, when he penned a $13m deal for the 2025 campaign.
The bulk of Rodgers’ career has been with the Packers but he left for the New York Jets in April 2023, vowing to reinvigorate the struggling franchise.
The move turned out to be a disaster, though. He tore his Achilles just four snaps into his debut against the Buffalo Bills and missed the rest of the first season.
When he returned in 2024, the Jets went 5-12 and didn’t get anywhere near a playoff spot. When Aaron Glenn took over as head coach, he told Rodgers he was no longer needed – a move that irked the quarterback deeply.
