Aaron Rodgers officially dropped the bomb: 2026 is it. His Hall of Fame career is wrapping up, and we’re about to witness his final dance. It’s always wild when an all-time legend calls his shot on his last season, but Rodgers is doing exactly that.
Rodgers’ Farewell Tour Kicks Off
Think about it, Rodgers has firsthand experience watching legendary quarterbacks wrap up their careers. He grew up a 49ers fan, so he saw Joe Montana finish up with the Kansas City Chiefs after his iconic run in San Francisco. Then, just five years later, Steve Young, the guy who replaced Montana, saw his career just end abruptly after getting blindsided by a defender. And who could forget 2010? That’s when Rodgers himself helped push Brett Favre into retirement, leading the Packers to a season sweep of the Vikings, who were Favre’s fourth and final team. The dude knows what a high-stakes exit looks like, and now he’s gearing up for his own.
Big Ben’s Wild Ride Out
We just saw Ben Roethlisberger pull off one of those absolutely iconic farewells in 2021. The reports were flying before Week 13, practically screaming that Big Ben was entering the final stretch of his career. It was widely assumed Pittsburgh’s long-term plans didn’t include him anymore, given all the roster changes happening. But man, what a roller coaster ride he gave them! After a brutal 1-3 start, the Steelers somehow rallied to finish with a winning 9-7-1 record. He literally snatched the AFC’s final playoff spot with a clutch, game-winning drive against the rival Ravens, right there in Baltimore! Throughout that season, he led the Steelers to season sweeps of both divisional foes, Baltimore and Cleveland. Think about it: he’s still the last starting quarterback to lead Pittsburgh to a win over the Browns in Cleveland. And his final home game? A win against those very Browns, the team that famously passed on him in the 2004 NFL Draft. You know Steelers fans were absolutely losing their minds, showering him with gratitude and cheers for 18 seasons of blood, sweat, and black and gold. Yeah, the Chiefs bounced them quick in the playoffs, but he still slung for 215 yards and two touchdowns in that final game. What an absolute legend, going out swinging.
Brady’s Unthinkable Age-45 Season
And then there’s the GOAT, Tom Brady, who somehow made “briefly retired then un-retired for one more season” a thing in 2022. The dude was 45 years old at the time! Coming off an absolutely brilliant 2021 season where he basically dominated the stat sheets, leading the entire NFL in pass attempts, completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes. The general consensus, everybody knew it, was that 2022 would be his 23rd and final season. Statistically, can you even imagine anyone ever having a better age-45 season than Brady did? It’s just wild what he pulled off.
So, as Rodgers gears up for his final ride in 2026, he’s got some serious shoes to fill. Will he pull a Roethlisberger and drag his team to a playoff spot with some last-second heroics? Or will he shock us all and somehow top Brady’s age-45 stats? We’re about to find out what kind of farewell season A-Rod really has in him. It’s gonna be epic, one way or another.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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