Aaron Rodgers' Wife Brittani Played Key Role in His Steelers Return: 'You Can Do One More Year'

Aaron Rodgers revealed that his wife, Brittani, played a major role in his decision to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers for one final NFL season.

Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday, July 28, and shared on X, the veteran quarterback admitted that he turned to Brittani while deciding whether to continue playing.

"I talked to the wife, and she said, 'You can do one more year,'" Rodgers said with a smile.

"I said, 'Well, let's see if it works out.' And then it kind of all came together," he added.

Rodgers said he had initially believed the 2025-26 season would be the end of his career. However, after talking with his wife and seeing the Steelers hire Mike McCarthy as head coach, he changed his mind.

Rodgers explained that retirement had been on his mind before Pittsburgh made its coaching change. He and McCarthy previously worked together for 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, making the reunion an important factor in his decision.

Shared by the NFL's Instagram account, "I thought last year might be it, and then Mike got hired," Rodgers said.

After months of speculation, the 42-year-old signed a one-year contract with the Steelers in May, making the upcoming season his 22nd in the NFL. During the July 28 press conference, he also made it clear that this season would be his last.

There is "zero debate," Rodgers revealed when asked whether he would return after the 2026 season.

Rodgers had previously discussed the decision during his introductory Steelers press conference on May 20.

"I had a lot of conversations with Mike, Omar, for a while," Rodgers said.

He added, "And you know, had a lot of conversations with my wife about it, after the [NFL] draft came to the conclusion that I wanted to play, I wanted to come back."

Rodgers also reflected on how McCarthy's arrival changed his outlook.

"I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh," Rodgers said.

He added, "But when the decision was made to hire Mike, I started opening my mind back up to coming back."

Although Rodgers publicly thanked Brittani for supporting his decision to play football, he has continued to keep their relationship out of the spotlight.

During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" in June 2025, Rodgers explained that his wife "doesn’t want to be in the public eye" and "didn’t sign up to be a celebrity."

Rodgers said, "My private life is staying private. I'm with somebody who's private."

He said Brittani never wanted the attention that came with being married to an NFL star.

"She signed up because she loves me and she supports me and she wants to spend the rest of our lives together and start a family together. She didn't sign up to be out front, you know, a social media WAG," Rodgers stated.

Rodgers first revealed in December 2024 that he was dating a woman named Brittani. In June 2025, he confirmed that the couple had quietly married a few months earlier, during a press conference shared on X.

He later shared during a March 2026 episode of "The Pat McAfee Show" that he first met Brittani in 2017 and knew he "wanted to be with her."