Aaron Rodgers may have just thrown his last pass in the NFL after 21 seasons. For a successful career like Rodgers, ending on a pick-six is quite a brutal way to end it. If there’s someone who does know what it’s like to hang up the cleats after an illustrious long career, finally, it’s seven-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady.
Brady broke down what Rodgers should consider when deciding on his future.
Tom Brady Gives Advice to Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers has a lot to think about. Retirement has been on the horizon for a few years, but every year Rodgers decides to keep coming back.
Now, Mike Tomlin has stepped down as the head coach in Pittsburgh, complicating a potential return for Rodgers to the Steelers. The Steelers are likely to find a new quarterback, and Rodgers will have to find another home if he doesn’t retire.
Brady wants Rodgers to consider the entire commitment that each season requires. He compared the season to a marathon in which everyone wants to run only the beginning and the end, not the middle.
“So to me it’s do you want to make a commitment year round, because if you don’t, well then it’s never going to turn out well when the season happens,” said Brady.
⬇️ @TomBrady weighed in on a potential Aaron Rodgers retirement on @TheHerd pic.twitter.com/eISKJtqB93
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 15, 2026
Rodgers didn’t get the job done for the Steelers in 2025. Pittsburgh has been searching for answers at quarterback for years after Ben Roethlisberger retired. Unfortunately, it hasn’t panned out for any quarterback, and the Steelers have lost seven straight playoff games.
Rodgers led the offense to their best finish in the last few years in PFSN’s Offense Impact score at 14th. But the offense was largely unimpressive at times and was dominated by the elite Texans defense in the playoffs. With a lack of prime destinations, Rodgers might have very few options for potential teams willing to offer him a starting role.
The Steelers have a lot to figure out. Their 19-year head coach, Mike Tomlin, is stepping down and will need a new head coach. Rodgers will need a new home. He might be forced to hang up the cleats. Brady knows what it means to play late in his career. If there’s someone Rodgers should listen to for late-career advice, Brady is one of the best. He won a Super Bowl in his 40s and knows what it takes to win.
If Rodgers listens to Brady and doesn’t have what it takes, he’ll be waiting five years before Canton, Ohio, calls. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and will go down as one of the greatest to ever do it. But Rodgers is a competitor, and it would be unsurprising if Rodgers continues to give it a go.
