PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers said he had “some doubt” about returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the opportunity to be reunited with coach Mike McCarthy opened his mind to coming back for a 22nd NFL season. His final season. In his first public comments since returning to the Steelers, Rodgers said on Wednesday he “came to the conclusion that I wanted to play” after last month’s NFL Draft. ...

Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts while playing the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cleveland.

Nick Cammett/Getty Images North America/TNS

PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers said he had “some doubt” about returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the opportunity to be reunited with coach Mike McCarthy opened his mind to coming back for a 22nd NFL season.

His final season.

In his first public comments since returning to the Steelers, Rodgers said on Wednesday he “came to the conclusion that I wanted to play” after last month’s NFL Draft. His subsequent conversations with McCarthy, his coach for 13 seasons in Green Bay, only reinforced his decision.

“I wasn’t in a contract, so I could take as much time as I wanted,” Rodgers said. “I was honest with Mike, Omar [Khan] and Mr. Rooney from the start — where I was at, what I was thinking. And after I saw the [offseason] moves and felt like my body was in a good place to make a decision, I felt like it was the right decision to come back.”

After Mike Tomlin resigned, Rodgers said he had a discussion with Khan, the team’s general manager, in which he passingly mentioned the possibility of hiring McCarthy, not thinking it would happen.

When it did, it further enticed Rodgers about coming back for another season.

“I love Mike,” Rodgers said of McCarthy. “Mike and I spent a lot of time together. I have a lot of respect for him. It’s pretty amazing. The guy has coached three iconic franchises — now, with Green Bay and Dallas.

“When the decision to hire Mike was made, it opened my mind into coming back,” Rodgers said.

Despite the extended delay in making his decision, Rodgers was present for the start of OTAs. And that’s all that interested McCarthy.

“Being here in OTAs is what I was looking for and what he was looking for,” said McCarthy, who is reunited with the quarterback he had for 13 seasons in Green Bay. “You see the reaction in the building, starting with the players. Everyone was excited when the decision was official. It speaks volumes of what he’s established here.”

But Rodgers left no doubt whether there will be a 23rd season.

“This is it,” he said.

For now, McCarthy is glad to have his former four-time league MVP around to help with the development of Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar.

“Football, coaching, you draw plays, you teach, you get video, you show examples, but there’s a game within the game,” McCarthy said. “That’s not really the real stuff. The real stuff is reading the defense, the things within the coverage. You’ve got to throw people open.

“To have Aaron Rodgers here, who has done it at the highest level for two decades, you have those little things. He’s a tremendous resource. I recommend all our players spend as much time with him as possible.”

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