The Pittsburgh Steelers, without Aaron Rodgers, are facing tough questions about their playoff chances after a close 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears. This defeat dropped the Steelers‘ record to 6 wins and 5 losses. On the same day, their AFC North rival, the Baltimore Ravens, improved their own record to 6-5 with a 23-10 win over the New York Jets, putting both teams in a tight race. This has naturally led to speculation about the Steelers’ future. If the Steelers don’t make the playoffs, where will Aaron Rodgers, who missed the Bears game with a wrist injury, play next?

Rodgers’ former teammate, quarterback Kurt Benkert, weighed in on the question during an interview with the @upandadamsshow (The Up and Adams Show). As he said, “I’d hate to see him go out like that. I mean, maybe he goes to Minnesota for his last hurrah. Who knows?  But I don’t know. I think there are so many quarterback-needy teams right now. You’re seeing it all across the league, and he’s still playing at a really good level. He’s not playing bad by any means.”

This isn’t the first time the idea of Rodgers joining the Minnesota Vikings has come up. Last offseason (before the 2025 season), while Rodgers was a free agent, reports connected him to Minnesota, which would have been a controversial move given his history with the Green Bay Packers, where he spent 18 years and emerged as arguably one of the greatest QBs in the NFL.

 The Vikings ultimately chose to draft J.J. McCarthy and gave him the starting QB role for the 2025 season. Rodgers signed with the Steelers in 2025. While Rodgers has generally played well for the Steelers this year, the Vikings are now struggling with McCarthy’s performance. So speculating on him joining the Vikings will not be impossible. But what does it mean for Rodgers’ rumored retirement with the Packers?

Reports suggest Aaron Rodgers plans to retire with the Packers

Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers is currently in his 21st NFL season, but it’s his very first one playing for the Steelers. Before joining the Steelers, Rodgers spent a massive 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers. Despite the move, Rodgers has made it clear that when he decides to retire, he plans to do so as a member of the Packers, the team where his legendary Hall of Fame career began. This news comes from an ESPN report.

Back in October, Rodgers offered a quick look into what his future retirement would involve. He explained his deep connection to Green Bay, saying, 

“I was there for 18 years. Regardless of when I hang it up, that’s the bulk of my career. I’ll retire a Packer and see what happens after that. I’ve got a lot of love for the organization [and] my time there.” He dismissed any talk of revenge against the team, noting that they “made me a ton of money” and that he “spent some of the best years of my life there.”

It is widely expected that the Packers organization will welcome Rodgers back with open arms, much like they did for another iconic quarterback, Brett Favre. Favre was honored by the Packers Hall of Fame in 2015, had his No. 4 jersey retired, and was then inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame a year later. Rodgers’ final season playing for the Packers was in 2022.

Shifting to the present reality, Rodgers is dealing with a wrist injury. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin stated on Tuesday that Rodgers will be a limited participant in practice early this week. However, the team is “greatly optimistic” that their quarterback will be ready to play this Sunday against the Bills. Tomlin added that he is “comfortable with his general trajectory.”

Rodgers fractured his non-throwing wrist the week before in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, causing him to miss the most recent game against the Chicago Bears. Fortunately, the injury did not require surgery. Rodgers was eager to play last Sunday, even pushing to do so after being limited in practice.

Before his injury, Rodgers was coming off one of the most challenging games of his career against the Los Angeles Chargers, where he threw for 161 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Overall, in his debut season with the Steelers, Rodgers has put up solid numbers: 1,969 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.