Stephen A. Smith says Rodgers should retire
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith called for Aaron Rodgers to retire during a September 22, 2026 broadcast of First Take. Smith said Rodgers looks more focused on avoiding hits than on making downfield throws in key moments.
Smith argued that once a quarterback starts fearing contact, his instincts in the pocket change completely. He said that shift breaks down an offense’s timing and leads to rushed or overly cautious throws each series.
Aaron Rodgers’s Steelers quarterback profile
Aaron Rodgers is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 42-year-old quarterback. The 2026 campaign is his 22nd NFL season, and he has said it will be his last.
Rodgers signed a 1-year contract to return to Pittsburgh after the Steelers finished 10-7 and won the AFC North in 2025. He went 10-6 in his 16 starts that season and reunited with head coach Mike McCarthy in 2026.
Aaron Rodgers falters in loss to Patriots
Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 39 passes for 187 yards as Pittsburgh lost 20-3 at New England on September 20, 2026. He threw no touchdown passes and 1 interception.
Rodgers finished with a 60.5 passer rating in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Steelers scored only 3 points, and New England sacked him 4 times.
The hit that led to Rodgers’ fumble
Rodgers fumbled in the second quarter after Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss delivered a heavy sack during Sunday’s road game in Foxborough. Steelers left tackle Troy Fautanu recovered the loose ball after a scramble by both teams.
The recovery happened at the Steelers’ own 42-yard line, turning a 3rd-and-7 snap at the Patriots’ 22 into a 4th-and-43. Rodgers avoided serious injury on the hit, but the drive ended there.
Steelers’ line struggles to protect Rodgers
Pittsburgh’s offensive line allowed heavy pressure throughout the Patriots game, with Rodgers sacked and hit repeatedly behind a unit still adjusting to new starters in 2026. Left tackle Troy Fautanu has taken on a larger protection role this season.
According to Stephen A. Smith, the pressure changed how Rodgers played the position entirely. He said the veteran quarterback appeared more concerned with self-preservation than with pushing the ball down the field against New England.
Aaron Rodgers is playing his final NFL season
Rodgers, born December 2, 1983, has repeated multiple times in 2026 that this will be his last NFL season. He first said so in May 2026 and confirmed it again when Pittsburgh reported to training camp.
The 4-time MVP said he does not feel the need to prove anything else in football. He also got married during the 2026 offseason and has said fans will see very little of him after he retires.
Fun fact: Aaron Rodgers guest-hosted “Jeopardy!” for a 10-episode stint starting on April 5, 2021, calling it the “honor of a lifetime” next to the Super Bowl.
Rodgers led Steelers to the 2025 playoffs
In his first season with Pittsburgh, Rodgers completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and 7 interceptions across 16 starts. The Steelers went 10-6 in those starts and finished the 2025 regular season 10-7.
Pittsburgh won the AFC North and reached the playoffs. Its season ended with a 30-6 wild-card loss to the Houston Texans in January 2026.
Steelers cycled QBs before Rodgers arrived
Pittsburgh used several starting quarterbacks after Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season. Kenny Pickett threw 7 touchdown passes in 2022 and 6 in 2023. Russell Wilson and Justin Fields also started games for the Steelers in 2024.
Rodgers threw 24 touchdown passes in his first Pittsburgh season in 2025. That exceeded Pickett’s 13 passing touchdowns combined across his two seasons with the team.
Aaron Rodgers’ Hall of Fame career résumé
Rodgers won Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers and was named the game’s MVP. He has also won 4 NFL MVP awards in 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021, and earned first-team All-Pro honors each of those years.
The Cal product has been selected to 10 Pro Bowls since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in the 2005 draft. He also led the league in passer rating four separate times during his career.
Rodgers ranks 5th in NFL career passing yards
Through Week 2 of the 2026 season, Rodgers has 66,682 career passing yards, ranking 5th in NFL history. He has completed 5,743 of 8,822 passes, a 65.1% completion rate.
Rodgers has thrown 528 career touchdown passes, 11 behind Peyton Manning’s 539. His 124 interceptions in 8,822 attempts give him a career interception rate of about 1.4%, the lowest in NFL history among qualifying passers.
Steelers sit at 1-1 through two games in 2026
Pittsburgh opened the season with a win over the Atlanta Falcons before falling to the Patriots in Week 2, leaving the team at 1-1. Rodgers has thrown for 408 total yards across those two games combined.
Tight end Pat Freiermuth leads the Steelers in receiving with 78 yards so far, ahead of receiver DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh hosts the Cincinnati Bengals next at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, September 27, 2026, in an early AFC North divisional test.
Smith says his message goes beyond the stats
Stephen A. Smith has said his call for Rodgers to retire comes from respect rather than criticism, citing their long personal relationship. Smith has said he added the word respectfully specifically because of that friendship.
Smith has also defended Rodgers against other critics this season, saying the quarterback deserves more credit for his career than he often receives. He called Rodgers a great player whose legacy should not be defined by one bad game.
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Aaron Rodgers to keep starting for Steelers
Rodgers has given no indication he plans to retire early despite Stephen A. Smith’s on-air comments this week. He is expected to remain the Steelers’ starting quarterback for the rest of the 2026 season.
Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati 34 to 12 in their last meeting in November 2025 behind a strong performance from Rodgers. The Steelers will look to build on last season’s AFC North title run as the schedule continues.
The NABJ award controversy has brought fresh attention to Stephen A. Smith’s latest remarks. Stephen A. Smith declares war after controversial NABJ award reveals what sparked his strong reaction.
Do you think Aaron Rodgers should retire now, or finish out his final season with the Steelers? Share your take in the comments below.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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