As they enter Week 18, the Pittsburgh Steelers are facing the possibility of missing the playoffs.
That means Sunday night could be Aaron Rodgers' final NFL game. It's not a possibility coach Mike Tomlin has contemplated much ahead of their win-or-go-home showdown against the Baltimore Ravens, primarily because he's not preparing to lose.
"I don't know that I've taken time to ponder that," Tomlin said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "I'm just committed to making sure that it's not. He's certainly been an awesome contributor to our efforts, not only from a talent perspective and an experience perspective, but just his professionalism, his relationship with the game, his love for his teammates, and his willingness to help them grow and get better and gain a better understanding each and every day has been cool to be part of."
The mutual respect shared between Tomlin and Rodgers is evident in Tomlin's response, an appreciation-filled message to a quarterback who decided he'd like to spend his final season with the Steelers, a team that needed him as much as he needed them. When the 2025 offseason began, Rodgers knew he was leaving the Jets and the Steelers knew they needed a quarterback, finding partnership in their commonality.
For most of 2025, it's worked out, even if it has included some peaks and valleys. Rodgers, 42, has played some of the best football of his last few years at times this season, helping the Steelers hold on to their narrowing lead in the AFC North with excellent performances against Baltimore, Miami and Detroit.
It hasn't all been good, though. Pittsburgh is emerging from one of those valleys after falling to Cleveland in Week 17, a massive upset in which Rodgers clearly missed his top receiver, DK Metcalf, and struggled to accomplish much of anything against the Browns defense. With the loss, the Steelers also left the door open for the Ravens to complete a once-unlikely comeback.
Still, even with their potential demise looming, Tomlin remained positive and thankful for Rodgers' contributions in what is expected to be the future Hall of Famer's final season, echoing the can-do attitude exuded by the 42-year-old quarterback after the Week 17 defeat.
"That's one of the things that made him really attractive to us: that can-do attitude, the experience and résumé that goes along with it," Tomlin said. "I don't think it's work for him. I think it's as natural as breathing, and so if he's breathing, I expect to see that from him as we lean in on this game."
The Steelers will need more than oxygen intake from Rodgers, a quarterback who threw for 220-plus yards in each of their three straight wins in December before finishing with just 168 yards in the loss to Cleveland. They'll hope he can play hero one more time in order to extend their season beyond Sunday night.
