The Pittsburgh Steelers walked off their home field Sunday night with a bitter taste after falling to the Green Bay Packers 35-25. Aaron Rodgers went head-to-head with his former team for the first time in his career. While he posted a decent stat line with 219 yards and two touchdowns with a 104.4 passer rating, the bigger story was what he did off the field after the game. Rodgers wasted no time in holding a team meeting just two days after the heavy loss, sending a clear message to the Steelers’ offense.

According to Steelers correspondent Mark Kaboly, “Rodgers gathered the skill position players after the walkthrough and before practice and illustrated that he was hell-bent on not riding the wave of an NFL season.”

Rodgers kept it straightforward. “We are full steam ahead. Like, there isn’t sulking, you can’t sulk with ‘8’,” he told the team, according to WR Calvin Austin III.

Rodgers met the team with his usual calm confidence, emphasizing the need to move forward and get better fast. His approach mirrors his famous “R-E-L-A-X” message from 2014. Back then, the Green Bay Packers started 1-2 but went on to reach the NFC Championship. Rodgers’ words had then inspired his team to win four straight games and finish with 12 wins back then.

It’s exactly what the Steelers need. The Steelers were 4-1 before losing a heartbreaker in Cincinnati in the final moments against a Joe Flacco-led team. Now they have dropped their second loss in a row.

“You know, we lost a tough one in Cincinnati on the short week, and we played a good football team and had many chances to get things going,” Rodgers said without much more explanation.

The offense looked sharp in the first half with 19 points on the board. But then the Steelers managed just nine points in the second half. And those came when the game was already out of reach. The Steelers next face the Colts at home, who currently sit at a 7-1 record. And if they come out flat again on defense, things can get ugly fast.​ But the four-time MVP isn’t panicking.

“Stay the course,” Aaron Rodgers said matter-of-factly about how to get past this bump in the road ahead.

Even the team’s response was positive, with Austin noting Rodgers’ confidence as being contagious.

“We went through some things, some added things he likes, what he has seen from this team in the past, and that he knows he can get them.”

Austin further added, “So, it’s like, we don’t have time to feel sorry for ourselves. At the end of the day, losing sucks, and we carry that shit, but having ‘8’ and that demeanor of his out on the field, he has so much confidence going forward that the negativity isn’t weighing us down and holding us back.”

The team sits at 4-3 and somehow still leads the AFC North. But after allowing 30 or more points in four of their first eight games this season, Steelers fans are losing their trust. Some people questioned whether Rodgers could still play at a high level at 41 years old. But his 16 passing touchdowns are tied for second-best in the league. He can still make plays when it matters.​ And the Steelers? Well, they want Aaron Rodgers to play for them for another season as their QB.

Pittsburgh wants Aaron Rodgers for another year

According to reporting from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, head coach Mike Tomlin and the organization have started conversations about bringing Rodgers back for the 2026 season.

UnderdogNFL reported on these discussions with a post reading, “Fowler: Steelers want Aaron Rodgers to return next season.”

Tomlin has been vocal in his praise of Rodgers beyond just the numbers.

“He loves it, so he loves the process. He loves to talk ball. He loves to educate his teammates to get on the same page. He’s excellent in terms of seeking a resolution to the issues. There are just a lot of good things about him, other than his physical talent and skill,” Tomlin said about his quarterback.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 1,270 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just five interceptions before Week 8. This shows he’s far from washed up.

Rodgers himself has been dropping hints about his future throughout interviews. He’s even joked about potentially playing in Dublin again next season. Ultimately, the decision rests in his hands. The signal caller said previously that he was “pretty sure” the 2025 campaign would be his final season. But players have been known to change their minds. Especially when things are clicking the way they are in Pittsburgh.

For now, though, the focus remains on Aaron Rodgers and what he can accomplish with the Steelers for the remainder of the 2025 season.