Aaron Rodgers has usually alluded to being on the ‘again 9’ of his NFL profession lately. There’s a sense he might be strolling up the golf green to putt on the 18th this weekend.
The 42-year-old four-time MVP will lead the Pittsburgh Steelers out after they face the Baltimore Ravens with the AFC North title and a playoff spot on the road on Sunday night time.
Win or tie, and the Steelers are in. Lose, and their marketing campaign is over, and so too, maybe Rodgers’ profession.
Rodgers, who signed a one-year take care of the Steelers in June, steered in the summertime he was “pretty sure” 2025 would mark his last season. He has different issues on his thoughts for now.
“I’m thinking about this week, but obviously I’m 42 years old and I’m on a one-year deal,” he mentioned this week. “So you recognize what the scenario is.
“At any time when the season ends, I will be a free agent. In order that’ll give me a number of choices if I nonetheless wish to play. I imply, not a number of choices, however there will be choices, I might assume, perhaps one or two, if I determine I nonetheless wish to play.
“I’ve enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on and off the field. And it’s really what I was hoping for this experience was, it’s been even better than I was hoping.”
The Steelers may have punched their ticket to the playoffs final weekend, solely to stall on offense in a 13-6 defeat to the Cleveland Browns. Baltimore, in the meantime, saved their season alive with victory over the Inexperienced Bay Packers at Lambeau Subject minus the injured Lamar Jackson, who returns to the line-up for Sunday’s decider.
Rodgers will stay with out star receiver DK Metcalf amid his suspension, whereas tight finish Darnell Washington is out with a damaged arm.
Head coach Mike Tomlin, who lately sealed a nineteenth successive non-losing season in Pittsburgh, isn’t prepared for Rodgers’ run to finish simply but.
“I don’t know that I’ve taken time to ponder that. I’m just committed to making sure that it’s not,” mentioned Tomlin. “He’s certainly been an awesome contributor to our efforts, not only from a talent perspective and an experience perspective, but just his professionalism.
“His relationship with the sport, his love for his team-mates, and his willingness to assist them develop and get higher and achieve higher understanding each day has been cool to be part of.”
Rodgers signed in Pittsburgh this offseason after two turbulent years with the New York Jets, the previous Inexperienced Bay Packers quarterback having up to now fallen brief in his seek for a second Tremendous Bowl ring and the Steelers having up to now struggled to discover a long-term reply below middle because the days of Ben Roethlisberger.
With sporadic instalments of Rodgers’ Corridor of Fame-bound arm expertise has come group inconsistency, leaving them in a make-or-break state of affairs this weekend.
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Highlights from the Week 17 matchup between the Baltimore Ravens at Inexperienced Bay Packers in the course of the 2025 NFL season
“Whether Aaron Rodgers has been there or not, Mike Tomlin has still had a winning record. Mike Tomlin has still pretty much gotten them to the playoffs,” mentioned Sky Sports activities NFL’s Phoebe Schecter.
“And we literally had the same conversation last year. Is that good enough? Is that where the bar is set that, we got you here, but now we don’t make it past the wild-card round or we don’t make it past the divisional round. And I think there’s already conversations around bringing Aaron Rodgers back next year if that’s what he wants to do.
“I do really feel prefer it’s bought to be greater than that. This group, I like this group as a result of they do have a number of that conventional old-school mentality. That is how we’ll do it.
“Obviously they’ve been successful, winning in the NFL every single year is hard and you’re doing it in the same way. I just feel like this team, this franchise deserves more than just good. I think they need to find a long-term answer at quarterback.”
Rodgers loved certainly one of his greatest days as a Steeler when the 2 sides met in Week 14, finishing 23 of 34 passes for 284 yards and a landing to guide Pittsburgh to a 27-22 win. Metcalf starred on the day as he accounted for 148 yards by means of the air; this time, Rodgers should discover one other manner.
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Highlights from the Week 4 match-up between the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers
“That first game we were like, ‘he done turned the clock back’,” mentioned Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey.
“He hadn’t been that spot on, but he threw some great passes. He really etched himself into the rivalry well. We have to match that tempo.
“He’ll come on the market and provides his guys nice alternatives to get the ball and put it in locations the place it is very arduous to defend.
“It doesn’t matter who you’re guarding, who’s out there, you’ve got to be on your Ps and Qs. Great player, but we would definitely like to have his last memory be a negative one.”
Rodgers enters the sport having thrown for 3,028 yards and 23 touchdowns to seven interceptions, seemingly reassuring himself that any choice over his enjoying future can be determined over his want versus his potential. Ask his team-mates, they usually stay satisfied he can nonetheless do it on the prime degree.
“He can play football until he’s 50. He’s almost there,” mentioned extensive receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling. “But he can for sure play until he is 50 years old. Throwing the football? He’ll be able to do that.”
What are the present playoff match-ups?
Right here is how the playoffs would look if the season ended as we speak:
AFC wild-card spherical:
- (7) Buffalo Payments @ (2) New England Patriots
- (6) Los Angeles Chargers @ (3) Jacksonville Jaguars
- (5) Houston Texans @ (4) Pittsburgh Steelers
First-round bye: (1) Denver Broncos
NFC wild-card spherical:
- (7) Inexperienced Bay Packers @ (2) Chicago Bears
- (6) Los Angeles Rams @ (3) Philadelphia Eagles
- (5) San Francisco 49ers @ (4) Carolina Panthers
First-round bye: (1) Seattle Seahawks
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Highlights from the Week 17 match-up between the Houston Texans on the Los Angeles Chargers
Playoff dates:
Saturday January 10-12: Wild-card spherical
- Sport One: Saturday, January 10 – 9.30pm
- Sport Two: Sunday, January 11 – 1am
- Sport Three: Sunday, January 11 – 6pm
- Sport 4: Sunday, January 11 – 9.30pm
- Sport 5: Monday, January 12 – 1.15am
- Sport Six: Tuesday, January 13 – 1.15am
January 17-18: Divisional spherical
- Sport One: Saturday, January 17 – 9.30pm
- Sport Two: Sunday, January 18 – 1.15am
- Sport Three: Sunday, January 18 – 8pm
- Sport 4: Sunday, January 18 – 11.30pm
January 25: AFC and NFC Championship video games
- Convention Championship Sport: Sunday, January 25 – 8pm
- Convention Championship Sport: Sunday, January 25 – 11.30pm
February 8: Tremendous Bowl LX
- AFC champion vs NFC champion: Sunday, February 8 – 11.30pm
Watch the 2025 NFL season stay on Sky Sports activities, together with each minute of the playoffs and Tremendous Bowl LX; Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.
