The ending was so sweetly sublime, it was almost hard to process.
There was John Elway, one of the greatest quarterbacks the sport has known, standing atop the balcony of his eighth-floor hotel room — Cuban cigar in his left hand, American lager in his right, South Florida rain in his eyes — reflecting on the final game of his storied football career.
He was practically glowing as I stood next to him, preparing to write a cover story for “Sports Illustrated” on the quarterback’s mic drop of a performance. He’d done it all on that glorious Sunday in January of 1999, hoisting a second consecutive Lombardi Trophy, crafting a Super Bowl MVP masterpiece and taking down the head coach who’d once tormented him.
There was nothing left to do but soak it all in.
Most final acts, even for the legends, aren’t close to that triumphant. For every Jerome Bettis (won Super Bowl in hometown), there’s an Adrian Peterson (16 yards in a Seahawks jersey) — or 20. Some sendoffs are mundane; others are downright depressing.
For Aaron Rodgers, the pass that could have been his last four months ago could not have been more ignominious: Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock picked it off, raced down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sideline, brushed off the quarterback’s attempted kill shot and shoved him out of bounds en route to the end zone, punctuating a first-round playoff blowout.
That could have been a wrap for Rodgers. Blessedly — for those of us who like our finales tinged with at least a trace of radiance and redemption — he decided he’s not going out that way.
On Wednesday, two days after signing a one-year deal with the Steelers, Rodgers met with reporters and delivered the final word on his imminent retirement.
“This is it,” Rodgers said of the 2026 season, during which he’ll celebrate his 43rd birthday.
Hearing that felt good, on so many levels. While not binding — take it from Rodgers’ predecessor in Green Bay, Brett Favre — it was a declarative statement, providing the type of clarity that the quarterback’s many critics complain his words and actions often lack.
Yes, after months of uncertainty, Rodgers is going to play. Yes, that has a lot to do with Pittsburgh’s hiring of Mike McCarthy, his former and current coach.
And yes, as a four-time MVP and future first-ballot Hall of Famer who ranks among the best to ever spin it, Rodgers has earned the right to try to finish his career on his terms.
That doesn’t mean he’ll mimic Elway and capture a second championship next February. Getting to the Super Bowl with a Steelers team that has gone a decade without a postseason victory, suffering seven consecutive playoff defeats during that stretch, would be a massive achievement, especially in a conference with so many star-studded quarterbacks.
Chances are, even if the Steelers make it back to the postseason, some formidable opponent will abruptly send Rodgers into retirement.
That’s football. And, though a lot of cynics will try to convince you otherwise, that’s perfectly OK.
Rodgers doesn’t have to get another ring or recapture his glory days to justify this farewell tour. His will to keep competing, and willingness to put it on the line once more, should be sufficient.
Writing him off is lazy and, for some, a setup for a stomach punch. With Rodgers, there’s always a prospect for summoning magic — the fourth-and-8 touchdown strike to Randall Cobb in the Chicago snow; the numerous Hail Marys; the wild comeback win against the Bears after being carted off at Lambeau.
Granted, most of those moments took place a long time ago. Yet the run he went on at the end of the 2025 regular season, culminating with his two go-ahead-touchdown drives in the final four minutes of the winner-take-all clash against the Baltimore Ravens, gave Pittsburgh fans a taste of what Packer backers consumed on so many satisfying Sundays.
Could there be more in store in 2026? Possibly, and that’s something to savor. It’s similar to what’s happening with Stephen Curry; the standard in his career’s latter stages has morphed. The chance for the Golden State Warriors to be in the mix, to play “meaningful basketball,” for their once-in-a-lifetime superstar to summon epic brilliance in a charged setting — that’s enough in and of itself, and it’s nothing to be taken for granted.
Like Curry, Rodgers has a penchant for crushing souls, in a manner that does not seem real. If the quarterback wants to try to do the unfathomable and hoist another Lombardi — or, failing that, give us a few more indelible moments along the way — I’m here for it.
Sometimes, the defiance is delicious, and the audacity is the point.
Most likely, Rodgers returned for reasons beyond the desire to craft a better ending. It’s obvious that he still loves to compete, and his arm talent and processing abilities remain elite. Where that takes an aging Steelers team with a new offensive scheme and some promising newcomers (receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and second-round pick Germie Bernard; first-round right tackle Max Iheanachor) remains to be seen, but it would be unwise to view this farewell tour as simply ceremonial.
My plan is to beat back any skepticism and try to soak it all in. Whether Rodgers’ final act leads to a cigar and a beer on a rain-soaked balcony, or a glass of premium Scotch in his living room after a searing disappointment, this will be a quest worth watching.
If nothing else, after that brutal scene last January, he’s refusing to be shoved aside.