The NFL world has waited with bated breath to discover Aaron Rodgers’ retirement decision and, according to one report, that wait is set to continue through until March.
The veteran quarterback, 42, has been plunged into NFL limbo once again after his season with the Pittsburgh Steelers came to a disappointing end back in January.
Rodgers and Pittsburgh were eliminated from the playoffs in the AFC Wild Card round by a 30-6 defeat to the Texans, leaving the signal caller weighing up retirement.
As speculation over his future continues to circulate, NFL insider Adam Schefter has now claimed that Rodgers is not expected to make any decision until March.
Speaking on The Adam Schefter Podcast, he said: ‘The belief around the league is that he’s supposed to give an answer by mid-March.
‘Many people thought there was no chance he’d be back but it certainly sounds like it’s a consideration,’ Schefter added.
Veteran NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers is expected to make a retirement decision in March
The 42-year-old is considering hanging up his cleats after the end of the season
Many would expect Rodgers to be heading back to the Steelers after leading them to a 10-7 regular season record, where he threw for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns.
However, Schefter has now revealed that there is another team waiting in the wings.
He continued: ‘The feeling is that he could be back with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But, if we go back to last year, he wanted to play in Minnesota.
‘I don’t know how Aaron Rodgers feels and I don’t know how the Vikings feel. They didn’t want to do that last year because they were being protective of JJ McCarthy.
‘But, do they still feel the same way or is Aaron Rodgers part of the conversation?’
Arguably, Minnesota have a better overall roster than Pittsburgh – with wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison useful assets to any starting quarterback.
However, the Steelers’ hopes of Rodgers returning were boosted by the hiring of Mike McCarthy to replace the outgoing Mike Tomlin as head coach.
Rodgers is believed to have been a big fan of Tomlin, but the appointment of McCarthy could be enough to lure him back to Pittsburgh.
McCarthy is obviously familiar with his game. The 62-year-old Pittsburgh native started Rodgers for 172 regular and postseason games during their 11 years together in Green Bay, winning the Packers’ fourth Super Bowl title along the way.
Last year, Rodgers revealed that tragedy in his personal life, with multiple members of his inner circle said to be battling cancer, had forced him to put his decision on hold.
There are question marks over where Rodgers could end up if he decides to keep playing
The Minnesota Vikings opted to stick with JJ McCarthy instead of bringing in Rodgers
Meanwhile, he also tied the knot with his mystery wife, reporting to Steelers’ camp with a wedding band on his finger.
Rodgers first revealed in June that he had been married for ‘a couple of months’, placing the wedding in around March or April, but he was scant on details.
He 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.
Rodgers has never been seen in public with his wife, who remains one of the league’s biggest mysteries, with even his teammates and their partners describing her as a ‘phantom.’
