Rodgers: 'Zero debate' 2026 will be final season
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- Aaron Rodgers reported to his 22nd NFL training camp with the Pittsburgh Steelers and declared "zero debate" that 2026 will be his final season, shaking his head when asked if he might reverse course.
- Rodgers explained he returned for one more year after coach Mike McCarthy was hired and his wife told him "you can do one more year," with everything "kind of all came together."
- DK Metcalf said he's not ruling out Rodgers coming back, noting "people just say things at the beginning of the year" and that a healthy, untouched season could prompt another return.
- Mike McCarthy called coaching Rodgers in his final season "special," noting they've known each other since Rodgers' second NFL season in 2005, when McCarthy coached him in Green Bay for 13 seasons.
- Rodgers said this year's arrival at St. Vincent College "doesn't feel anything," unlike last year when it "felt way more dramatic" as his last, and he's just happy to be with his teammates.
- Metcalf said his communication with Rodgers is "far beyond" last year's level, crediting their second year as dorm suitemates and a summer ranch trip with pass catchers Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson.
Why it matters: With Rodgers committing to retirement and McCarthy — who knows him best from 13 seasons coaching him in Green Bay — now leading the Steelers, the 2026 season frames as a closing chapter for a four-time MVP at 42. Metcalf's open-ended reaction signals the locker room isn't treating this as a foregone conclusion, leaving room for Rodgers to walk back the "zero debate" stance.
