The anticipation surrounding Aaron Rodgers’ next career move has captured the attention of the NFL community, but within the Pittsburgh Steelers, his teammates have already formed their opinion.

At 42, Rodgers finds himself at a crossroads following the conclusion of his season with the Steelers in January.

After suffering a decisive 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round, Rodgers faces the decision of retiring or continuing his football journey.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the consensus among Pittsburgh players is clear: they are eager for Rodgers to return in the iconic black and yellow jersey next season.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Schefter shared, “In their exit meetings, Pittsburgh Steelers players unanimously expressed their desire to have Aaron Rodgers back.”

Aaron Rodgers in yet again in NFL limbo as he considers retirement in the football offseason

Rodgers, 42, and Pittsburgh were eliminated from the playoffs in the AFC Wild Card round

He further noted the profound respect and admiration his teammates hold for Rodgers, emphasizing their collective wish for his return.

Last year, Rodgers had agonized over his NFL future for months after being released by the New York Jets in March.

His drawn-out NFL limbo was finally ended in June when he signed a one-year deal with the Steelers, who had patiently waited for his decision amid a turbulent time in Rodgers’ personal life.

However, this time around, the team has given him a stricter timeline. According to Schefter, Pittsburgh plans to give Rodgers a month to decide about his future with the team, meaning the franchise likely expects an answer before the start of the league year and free agency on March 11.

‘The idea of that point of time was to give him about a month,’ Schefter continued. ‘Give him some time to think about things, process things, and in that time, they go and hire Mike McCarthy. They didn’t hire Mike McCarthy to bring back Aaron Rodgers, but I don’t think that hurts the situation at all, if anything it helps it.’ 

As mentioned by Schefter, the Steelers’ hopes of Rodgers returning were boosted by the hiring of Mike McCarthy to replace the outgoing Mike Tomlin as head coach. 

Rodgers is believed to have been a big fan of Tomlin, but the appointment of McCarthy could be enough to lure him back to Pittsburgh.

McCarthy is obviously familiar with his game. The 62-year-old Pittsburgh native started Rodgers for 172 regular and postseason games during their 11 years together in Green Bay, winning the Packers’ fourth Super Bowl title along the way.

The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike McCarthy, who coached Rodgers to a Super Bowl title

Rodgers has regularly worn a ring on his wedding finger but his wife has never been seen 

Last year, Rodgers revealed that tragedy in his personal life, with multiple members of his inner circle said to be battling cancer, had forced him to put his decision on hold.

Meanwhile, he also tied the knot with his mystery wife, reporting to Steelers’ camp with a wedding band on his finger.

Rodgers first revealed in June that he had been married for ‘a couple of months’, placing the wedding in around March or April, but he was scant on details.

He declined to name who he married, although he said in a December 2024 episode of the Pat McAfee Show that he was dating someone named Brittani, who was a ‘private person,’ at the time.

Rodgers has never been seen in public with his wife, who remains one of the league’s biggest mysteries, with even his teammates and their partners describing her as a ‘phantom.’