Aaron Rodgers misses Lambeau return
Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers opened their 2026 preseason against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium on Aug. 13, with Pittsburgh winning 28-9. Rodgers did not play, and the matchup left him without the Lambeau Field return he had hoped for.
Before the game, Rodgers said he wished the matchup had been scheduled in Green Bay. He wanted another visit to Lambeau, where he spent 18 seasons and built most of his NFL career.
Aaron Rodgers wanted the Green Bay trip
Rodgers said he was 100% hoping the Packers game would be in Green Bay. He also mentioned dinner at Chives and playing nine holes at Green Bay Country Club again.
He acknowledged that using the visitors’ locker room would have felt strange. Rodgers also wanted to see former colleagues, including trainers and equipment staff members, still working for the Packers.
Aaron Rodgers built his Packers legacy
Green Bay selected Rodgers with the 24th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft. He spent 18 seasons with the franchise, appearing in 230 regular-season games and making 223 starts.
Rodgers became Green Bay’s starting quarterback in 2008 after three seasons behind Brett Favre. Over 15 seasons as the Packers’ primary starter, Green Bay reached the playoffs 11 times, won 8 division titles, and captured Super Bowl XLV.
Aaron Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV
Rodgers led Green Bay to a 31-25 victory over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV. He completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns, earning game MVP honors.
That championship remains Rodgers’ only Super Bowl title. The result also links his Green Bay legacy to Pittsburgh, the franchise he later joined near the end of his professional career.
Aaron Rodgers collected four MVP awards
Rodgers won four Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player awards with Green Bay in 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021. Peyton Manning remains the only player with more, earning five awards.
Rodgers also earned 10 Pro Bowl selections and four first-team All-Pro honors during his Packers career. Green Bay credited him with 475 franchise-record touchdown passes when trading him in 2023.
Aaron Rodgers moved from New York
Green Bay traded Rodgers to the New York Jets in April 2023 after his 18-season Packers career. His Jets tenure lasted two seasons before he joined Pittsburgh for the 2025 campaign.
Rodgers played 16 regular-season games for Pittsburgh in 2025, throwing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He posted a 94.8 passer rating while starting every game played.
Aaron Rodgers reunited with Mike McCarthy
Rodgers returned to Pittsburgh on a one-year contract in May 2026. The move reunited him with Mike McCarthy, who coached Rodgers in Green Bay and became the Steelers’ head coach.
Rodgers said McCarthy’s arrival influenced his decision to keep playing. The pair worked together in Green Bay from 2006 through 2018, when McCarthy left while Rodgers remained with the franchise.
Aaron Rodgers says 2026 is his finale
Rodgers has repeatedly said the 2026 season will be his last in the NFL. He reaffirmed that decision in July, telling reporters there was zero debate about retiring after 2026.
The Steelers have no 2026 regular-season game at Green Bay, and opposite-conference playoff opponents can meet only in the Super Bowl. The published schedule, therefore, provides Rodgers no Lambeau appearance.
Aaron Rodgers also faces the Jets
The Steelers host the New York Jets on August 21 during the second week of the preseason. That gives Rodgers another scheduled matchup with a former team at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh closes its preseason at Buffalo on August 27. None of the Steelers’ regular-season games is scheduled at Green Bay, so the published 2026 calendar contains no Lambeau Field trip.
Aaron Rodgers enters with elite totals
Rodgers enters 2026 with 66,274 passing yards and 527 touchdown passes. He also carries a 102.2 career passer rating after 21 seasons with Green Bay, New York, and Pittsburgh.
Rodgers set the NFL single-season passer-rating record at 122.5 in 2011. He also established a record with a 0.34% interception rate in 2018 after throwing two interceptions across 597 attempts.
Fun fact: Rodgers once designed a $12,800 Swiss watch, with green details linking his Packers past to his Jets chapter.
Aaron Rodgers faces a familiar opponent
Green Bay opens the 2026 preseason in Pittsburgh for the teams’ first preseason meeting since 2018. The Packers last played an exhibition game in Pittsburgh in 2015 before this return.
The franchises met 26 times in preseason play before 2026. Green Bay also defeated Pittsburgh 31-25 in their only postseason meeting, Super Bowl XLV, adding another link to shared history.
Aaron Rodgers explains Lambeau’s pull
Rodgers said playing at Lambeau can begin to feel normal after spending years there, even though players around the league continue to talk about how special the stadium is.
His comments focused on familiarity rather than ceremony. Rodgers mentioned former colleagues, local routines and the stadium itself, showing why the location mattered to him even for a preseason game.
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Aaron Rodgers begins his final preseason
Rodgers is 42 and entering his 22nd NFL season. Pittsburgh lists him as an active quarterback, and the Steelers opened their preseason against Green Bay on Aug. 13 before upcoming games against the Jets and Bills, and a Sept. 13 regular-season opener against Atlanta.
Rodgers did not play in Pittsburgh’s 28-9 preseason victory over Green Bay. The matchup took place in Pittsburgh rather than Wisconsin, and the Steelers’ 2026 regular-season schedule includes no trip to Lambeau Field.
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Would one final game at Lambeau Field have been a fitting ending for Aaron Rodgers, or does his Packers legacy already stand on its own? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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