Aaron Rodgers sets up a Derek Jeter-style farewell tour
By announcing on Wednesday that this will be his final season, Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has established 2026 as a farewell tour. It's an unusual move for franchise quarterbacks. Tom Brady didn't do it.
Peyton Manning didn't, either. Drew Brees didn't. Matt Ryan didn't.
Philip Rivers didn't. Ben Roethlisberger privately told others that 2021 would be his final season. Rogers is the only quarterback in recent memory to do a 2014 Derek Jeter-style farewell tour .
And that's Rodgers's prerogative. But it could become a distraction for him and the team, especially in December. It also could make the Steelers a magnet for late-season flexing decisions; if no specific game stands out in a given prime-time slot, showcasing Rodgers becomes an obvious choice.
All of this assumes 2026 will indeed be Rodgers's last season. He's not required to retire. He can continue for as long as he wants, and for as long as a team will give him a spot on the roster.