Aaron Rodgers Declares Steelers Super Bowl Contenders in Final NFL Season

Aaron Rodgers is trending again, and this time it has nothing to do with retirement rumors. The 42-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback declared this week that he believes his team can win it all in his 22nd and final NFL season, pointing directly to a retooled defense as the reason he came back for one more run.

Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, signed a one-year deal worth up to $25 million in May to return to Pittsburgh and reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy, his longtime coach in Green Bay. He confirmed at the time that 2026 would be his last season, closing out a career that began in 2005 and has included stops with the Packers, Jets and now the Steelers. He still wears No. 8, since his old No. 12 remains unofficially retired in Pittsburgh out of respect for Terry Bradshaw.

Rodgers Makes His Case for a Super Bowl Run

Speaking Tuesday on Mad Dog Sports Radio with host Adam Schein, Rodgers was asked point-blank whether he views the Steelers as legitimate title contenders. His answer left little room for interpretation. “Yeah, of course,” Rodgers said. “That’s why I came back, because I believe in the guys.” It’s a notable statement from a player who spent months deliberating his football future before ultimately deciding a shot at a second Super Bowl ring was worth one more year in pads.

The centerpiece of his optimism is Pittsburgh’s defense, which Rodgers described as one of the deepest units he’s been part of in his career. He specifically cited the additions of safety Jaquan Brisker, cornerback Jamel Dean and defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day, who join a returning core that includes T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. Rodgers also pointed to the development of second-year defensive linemen Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black, who will line up alongside veteran anchor Cam Heyward. That group has already helped push the Steelers up NFL Super Bowl odds boards this offseason, and Rodgers’ comments only add fuel to that conversation.

What’s Next for Rodgers and the Steelers

Pittsburgh opens the regular season Sunday at Acrisure Stadium against Tua Tagovailoa and the Atlanta Falcons, marking McCarthy’s official debut as Steelers head coach. The Steelers enter the opener in relatively good health after a string of injured players, including wide receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr., safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Joey Porter Jr., all returned to practice ahead of kickoff. Metcalf and Pittman are both expected to be available for Week 1, giving Rodgers a healthier receiving corps than he had for most of training camp.

Division play doesn’t begin until Week 3, when Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals visit Pittsburgh on September 27, but Sunday’s opener will offer the first real look at whether Rodgers’ confidence is backed by results. The Steelers have not snapped a decade-long playoff win drought, and a fast start against Atlanta would go a long way toward validating the belief Rodgers expressed this week.

For a 42-year-old entering the twilight of a Hall of Fame-caliber career, the stakes of this final chapter are obvious. Rodgers has made clear he’s not just playing out the string in Pittsburgh — he’s chasing one more championship, and he’s publicly staking his credibility on a defense he believes can get him there.