Another week, and still no decision from quarterback Aaron Rodgers on whether or not he’s going to re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Rodgers visited Pittsburgh the weekend of May 8, and while he was expected to meet with the team and potentially make a decision about joining the Steelers for a second season, there’s been no news about the 42-year-old quarterback and where he’ll play in the 2026 season. Regardless of what team he plays for, he’ll likely be one of the oldest players in the league, a status he held last season.
Here’s where his age puts him among past and present players.
Where does Aaron Rodgers rank among oldest active NFL players?
Last year, Rodgers was expected to be the oldest player in the league. But he was beat out by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers, who signed to the team’s practice squad in December 2025. Rivers is 44 years old.
Where does Aaron Rodgers rank among current, former Steelers players?
Aaron Rodgers is the oldest player in the Steelers’ history, according to CBS Sports. Since the team’s establishment in 1933, they never had a player over the age of 40 until signing Rodgers.
Before Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger held the record for the oldest player in Steelers history. The quarterback retired a little more than a month before he was set to turn 40 after playing 18 years with the team.
James Harrison, former linebacker for the Steelers, also retired shortly before his 40th birthday. At 39, Harrison played part of the 2017 season with the Steelers, then was released by the team and signed by the New England Patriots the week of Christmas. He retired from the NFL in April 2018, less than a month before he turned 40.
One other player, Bobby Walden, almost hit 40 while with the Steelers: The punter played his final down in December 1977, three months before his birthday in March 1978.
Where does Aaron Rodgers rank among oldest starting quarterbacks of all time?
Among all starting quarterbacks in the history of the NFL, only six have Rodgers beat in the age department, ESPN reported.
Tom Brady was 45 years old in January 2023 when he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the 2022 NFC Wild Card game against the Dallas Cowboys. He announced his retirement about two weeks later.
Similarly to Rivers, Steve DeBerg came back to play for the Atlanta Falcons after a five-year hiatus. He initially retired in 1993 after an 18-year career, then returned to the game in 1998 at age 44 and played for one season.
Vinny Testaverde also played his final game at 44 in 2007 with the Carolina Panthers, winning 31-23 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Warren Moon wrapped up his career at 43 with the Kansas City Chiefs, defeating the St. Louis Rams in October 2000. He announced his retirement in January 2001 at 44.
Doug Flutie played his final game at 43 in 2006 with the New England Patriots against the Miami Dolphins. He announced his retirement in May of that year.
However, none of them come close to George Blanda, who retired after leading the Oakland Raiders to the 1975 AFC championship game at 48 years old.
Is Aaron Rodgers expected to re-sign with Steelers?
Rodgers met with the Steelers the weekend of May 8 but didn’t re-sign with them. Still, it’s expected that he’ll return to the team for the 2026 season.
“We’ve been in contact with Aaron on a regular basis,” Steelers team owner Art Rooney II told NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero and Judy Battista on NFL Network’s “The Insiders” on April 29. “He’s been keeping us up to date on his plans.”
Rooney added that he expected there would be a conclusion within the next few weeks, though he previously expected Rodgers to make a decision ahead of the draft.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin also expects Rodgers to return to the team, something he told his new NBC colleague Maria Taylor during an interview that aired the weekend of the NFL draft.
“Man, if you got a gun to my head, I’d say it’s AR,” Tomlin said of who will play quarterback for the Steelers in 2026. “I just think, Aaron, I just think being around him for the 12 months that I’m around him, he’s got a love affair with the game of football and not only the game, but the process, the informal moments, the development of younger guys, the interaction with teammates. I think he has an addiction to that, and there’s only one way to feed it. And certainly he is still capable and in really good shape. And so I think at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers’ age ranks among oldest NFL quarterbacks
