Rodgers agrees Steelers deal to extend NFL career

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers is set to play in the NFL for at least one more season after agreeing to join the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pending a medical, the NFL's four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) will be the Steelers' starting quarterback for 2025 after agreeing a one-year deal.

The 41-year-old had spent months weighing up his options having become a free agent for the first time in his 20-year career.

The 2011 Super Bowl winner was released by the New York Jets after a disappointing second season with the team, with his first having been wiped out by an Achilles tendon injury suffered on his debut.

Rodgers reportedly received an offer from the New York Giants, and although he also spoke with the Minnesota Vikings, they decided not to pursue a deal.

In April, Rodgers said that he was "open to anything" and that "retirement could still be a possibility".

But Pittsburgh, who allowed both of last season's starters Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to move on, left the door open and their patience has now paid off.

Rodgers, who spent the first 18 years of his career with the Green Bay Packers, visited the Steelers and remained in contact with head coach Mike Tomlin.

The Giants opted to go in a different direction and picked Wilson and fellow veteran Jameis Winston before selecting Jaxson Dart with a first-round draft pick.

Pittsburgh had brought in back-ups Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson and their only other quarterback was sixth-round draft pick Will Howard.

Rodgers has the best career quarterback rating of all-time but his production has dropped off in his past two full seasons - either side of that torn Achilles tendon injury in 2023.

He was named the league's MVP in 2020 and 2021, but since then he has had his lowest QB ratings since becoming Green Bay's starter in 2008, and thrown his most interceptions since 2010.

That season the Packers defied a 10-5 record to reach the Super Bowl, beating Pittsburgh 31-25 at Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

Tomlin has been the Steelers' head coach since 2007, winning the Super Bowl in 2009, and although they have not had a losing record in his 18 seasons in charge, they have not won a play-off game since 2017.

Pittsburgh began their off-season programme with organised team activities on 27 May, and Rodgers is expected to join them for mandatory minicamp on 10 June.

In 20 seasons Rodgers has appeared in 241 games, starting 248 of them. He has completed 5,369 of 8,245 passes, 65.1%, for 62,952 yards and 503 touchdowns.

He ranks in the top-10 in every major passing category, and is the only quarterback in NFL history with at least 55,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.

Rodgers has won four NFL MVP awards, with only Peyton Manning (five) ahead of him in that list.