Aaron Rodgers Reveals Major Reason for Steelers Return

Before returning to football officially, quarterback Aaron Rodgers made a suggestion to Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan during the team’s head coaching search.

Former head coach Mike Tomlin stepped away, but the 42-year-old quarterback, who hadn’t decided on his future, floated the name Mike McCarthy. Pittsburgh hired McCarthy, and Rodgers ultimately returned to play for his original coach.

“I encouraged him for an outside perspective to interview Mike,” Rodgers told reporters on Wednesday. “Not thinking that he even would, honestly, just because the way the league goes and the trend, it’s kind of like whoever worked with Sean [McVay], Kyle [Shanahan] or one of those guys, Matt [LaFleur] now gets a lot of looks and multiple guys in those trees have. But then when it became more serious, I was thinking, ‘Wow, that’d be a really interesting thought to come back and play with Mike.'”

Rodgers will end his career as he started it, playing for McCarthy, just as he did in his rookie year with the Green Bay Packers in 2005. This year will mark Rodgers’s final year in the league.

“Yes. This is it,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers has spent most of his career with the Green Bay Packers, followed by a two-year stint with the New York Jets before his time in Pittsburgh.

Rodgers won a Super Bowl with McCarthy in Green Bay during the 2010s, and they notably beat the Steelers in the process. They will look to get Pittsburgh back to the Super Bowl for the first time since.

“When [Tomlin] said he was stepping away, that was an emotional moment just because we all love him so much and care about him, and I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh,” Rodgers said. “But when the decision was made to hire Mike, I started opening my mind back up to coming back.”

His future remained in doubt for much of the offseason, but the Steelers also notably didn’t go after another big-name quarterback in free agency or the draft. Pittsburgh re-signed Rodgers with a one-year deal that will pay him $22 million guaranteed and possibly another $3 million with incentives.

“Honestly, sitting in the first 8 o’clock meeting on Monday took me back to being a 22-year-old kid sitting in Green Bay, listening to Mike’s first meeting in 2006,” Rodgers said. “It’s fun. I mean, it’s like ‘pinch me’ moments. It’s been happening the last few days, getting to sit next to [offensive line coach] James Campen in the meetings is fun. [Assistant offensive line coach] Jahri Evans was a teammate of mine. He’s on his staff now as a Hall of Famer—should be a Hall of Famer. That’s pretty cool too. A lot of connections.”

Pittsburgh will have a tall task ahead in the AFC North, let alone the rest of the conference. The Baltimore Ravens look rejuvenated around quarterback Lamar Jackson, and the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to get back on track with quarterback Joe Burrow.

“I think we were close last year,” Rodgers said. “I felt like we needed a lineman probably at some point. They drafted a guy in the first round I like. Thought we needed somebody who could work in the slot, and obviously [Germie Bernard] being picked there is a guy I think could do it. Bringing in [Michael] Pittman [Jr.] was obviously a good addition, Rico Dowdle, Jamel [Dean] on defense, [Jaquan] Brisker as well. A lot of good pieces added to the mix.”

Rodgers still has it. He completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns versus seven interceptions last season. He led the Steelers to the AFC North title and a playoff appearance.

A former first-round pick from California, his career began in 2005 as a backup behind former Packers quarterback Brett Favre for three years. Rodgers then won the MVP four times.