The Pittsburgh Steelers are aware that Aaron Rodgers will be retiring after this season. Even Aaron Rodgers himself is sure that he will be hanging up his cleats after 2026. But somehow, Chad Johnson believes that’s not how things will be. The former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver thinks that Rodgers still has some time left in the league, and he has his reason for that faith.
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“He’s coming back,” Johnson shared on the Nightcap podcast. “There’s no door that they can open where they’re gonna find another quarterback. So, Aaron Rodgers is going to play the long game like he does in the offseason. They’re 5-2, they’re playing really well right now.
“But they don’t have an answer at the quarterback position. Even at 43, which he’ll be next year, he still has the leverage. Because anyone else that is out there that might be younger, they’re not gonna be playing any better than this.”
The 2025 season was supposed to be his last run in the league, but Rodgers pushed it by one more year. He could not fight the urge to reunite with his former coach, Mike McCarthy, after Mike Tomlin stepped away from the Steelers. After all, the veteran might have thought of pulling off yet another Super Bowl run with McCarthy.
“I love Mike T. I really appreciate the opportunity to come in last year and love my experience with him,” Rodgers said in May closing the retirement talks. “I thought when he said he was stepping away, that was an emotional moment just because we all love him so much and care about him. I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh. But when the decision was made to hire Mike (McCarthy), I started to open my mind back up to coming back.
“I had a lot of conversations with Mike and (GM) Omar (Khan) for a while. Just had a lot of conversations with my wife about it, and after the draft, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to play, wanted to come back.”
Seven weeks into the season, his strong wish to play under McCarthy got satiated now. After Pittsburgh defeated the New Orleans Saints 16-10 in Paris, Rodgers was asked in the post-game presser whether there is any chance of him changing his mind and staying in the league for a little longer. He had his answers ready.
“No, no, no,” the veteran said. “I’ve enjoyed the last two especially international games. Played in 22 and 24 in London last two years in Ireland and here (London). For a long time in Green Bay, we never got to go overseas because Lambeau is such a incredible home-field advantage. Green Bay was never going to give up a a game. Finally, we did in 22 and I’ve enjoyed it.”
Even then, what makes Johnson pin his faith on Rodgers’ return after the 2026 season? Well, he has come up with a strong case.
This season, so far, Rodgers has thrown 1,699 yards, 13 touchdowns, and five interceptions. At 42, he definitely looks better and more refined than last year.
What is the motivation for Rodgers to hang in there for a while longer? He threw a touchdown pass to Darnell Washington against the Saints. It was not just a random touchdown in his 22-year-long career. Rather, it was special, as it marked his 540th career touchdown while he broke Peyton Manning’s record. What if he might break more records in 2027?
Meanwhile, according to Johnson, the Steelers have not found the answer to who is going to replace Rodgers. According to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo, “If the Steelers can find a way to draft a first-round QB, they will.
“They seem to like more experienced college QBs, which makes Ole Miss senior Trinidad Chambliss a player to circle, even this early in the process. I almost think the Steelers were planning for that possibility when they drafted Allar. If I had to guess, I’d expect a Will Howard vs. Allar camp competition for the Week 1 starting job, even if the Steelers can find a way to get a QB.”
However, Johnson argued that if Rodgers returns next season, even younger quarterbacks would find it difficult to match what the veteran could achieve.