Aaron Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh for one more run, and this time the storyline isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about history. The 42-year-old quarterback enters the 2026 season needing 3,726 passing yards to cross 70,000 for his career — a number only four other quarterbacks in NFL history have ever hit.
According to Pro Football Talk, Rodgers sits at 66,274 career passing yards heading into the season. Cross that 70,000 threshold, and he joins an exclusive club that currently includes Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.
The number isn’t a stretch. It’s close to what Rodgers has produced in every healthy season recently. He threw for 3,695 yards in his final year in Green Bay back in 2022, then 3,897 yards in his lone full season with the Jets in 2024. Last year, in his first season with the Steelers, he passed for 3,322 yards. Per PFT, DraftKings has him at +200 odds to hit the 3,726-yard mark and complete the milestone.
A reunion that made the difference
Rodgers almost didn’t return at all. He’s flirted with retirement each of the past several offseasons, and when longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down, it looked like Rodgers might walk away for good rather than adjust to a new situation.
Then Pittsburgh hired Mike McCarthy. Rodgers spent 13 seasons under McCarthy in Green Bay, making nine playoff appearances, winning two MVP awards during that stretch and capturing a Super Bowl together. That history reportedly played a real role in bringing him back. Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, as reported by Yahoo Sports, Pittsburgh’s decision to hire McCarthy was a factor in Rodgers deciding to play on.
“I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh,” Rodgers said of Tomlin’s retirement, per that same report. “But when the decision was made to hire Mike, I started opening my mind back up to coming back.”
Rodgers has said this will be his final NFL season — his 22nd. He’s not walking in blind to McCarthy’s scheme, either. The offense won’t look dramatically different than what Pittsburgh ran a year ago, since McCarthy is building on a version of the same West Coast system Rodgers has run for most of his career, tweaked from his years in Dallas.
What last season looked like — and why 2026 could be different
Rodgers’ 2025 season wasn’t the version of him that hung MVP banners in Green Bay. He completed 65.7% of his passes for 207.6 yards per game, throwing 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions, and helped Pittsburgh reach the playoffs before a Wild Card loss to Houston. His 6.7 yards per attempt sat nearly a full yard below his career average.
Part of that stemmed from an offense built more around short passing and the ground game than downfield shots. Pittsburgh also lost right guard Isaac Seumalo this offseason, though the Steelers are hoping improved play at tackle — with Troy Fautanu expected to anchor the left side — gives Rodgers cleaner pockets and more time to work.
| Season | Team | Passing Yards |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Green Bay Packers | 3,695 |
| 2024 | New York Jets | 3,897 |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3,322 |
| 2026 (needed for 70,000) | Pittsburgh Steelers | 3,726 |
The bigger picture for Pittsburgh
The Steelers aren’t being treated as a lock heading into 2026. Betting markets have set Pittsburgh’s win total at 8.5 games, and oddsmakers view a playoff berth as roughly a coin flip. The AFC North remains a tough draw, and question marks in the secondary linger even with the additions of Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker this offseason.
Still, betting against Pittsburgh has been a losing habit for years. The franchise hasn’t posted a losing record since 2003, and it’s beaten its projected win total in six straight seasons. Whether Rodgers can be a driving factor in extending that streak — while also chasing personal history — will be one of the more interesting subplots of the 2026 season.
