For 38-year-old Joe Montana, it was a 27-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
For 38-year-old Dan Marino, it was a 62-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
For 45-year-old Tom Brady, it was a 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Those are only three examples of legendary quarterbacks whose careers ended in disappointing playoff defeats. Will 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers be joining them?
That’s the biggest question after Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers were soundly defeated 30-6 by the Houston Texans on Monday night.
After sneaking into the playoffs via a missed field goal by the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh was humbled by a ferocious Texans defense, which outscored the Steelers’ offense 12-6. The loss was Pittsburgh’s seventh straight in the postseason dating back to 2016.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers told reporters postgame when pressed about his future. “Disappointed, obviously. Such a fun year. Lot of adversity, lot of fun.”
He added that he would “get away and have the right conversations” before ultimately deciding if he wants to come back for a 22nd season.
If it is the end, it will be a far from satisfying one.
Rodgers, who has won four regular-season MVPs and one Super Bowl MVP, had statistically the worst playoff game of his storied career Monday. He finished the game, completing 17 of 33 passes for only 146 yards, a postseason career low. His 4.4 yards per attempt and 50.8 passer rating were also career-worst playoff marks. And for good measure, the Steelers’ 6 points were also the fewest scored by a Rodgers-led offense in a playoff game.
The enduring images of Rodgers from what could be his last game won’t be kind to his otherwise stellar career. Twice in the fourth quarter, he turned the ball over for defensive scores.
The first came with Pittsburgh trailing 10-6 and still in striking distance to win the game. Rodgers was strip-sacked by Will Anderson and was down writhing on the ground while Sheldon Rankins scooped up the ball and scored for Houston.
Later, with the Steelers trailing 24-6 and the game all but over, Rodgers was intercepted by Calen Bullock. As Bullock ran the ball back, Rodgers attempted to make a tackle, but he bounced off Bullock, who ran in for the game’s final score. If Rodgers does retire, that will be the final throw of his career.
Rodgers’ career was dramatic before he even stepped onto an NFL field.
He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with the 24th pick in the 2005 draft, falling much lower than most experts predicted at the time. And the Packers selected him despite the presence of franchise legend Brett Favre, who kept Rodgers largely on the bench for the first three years of his career.
From 2008 to 2022, Rodgers was Green Bay’s starting quarterback, and authored one of the best careers of any signal caller. His 102.2 passer rating is tied with Lamar Jackson for the best in NFL history, and he is fourth all-time in passing touchdowns, one of only five quarterbacks who have thrown more than 500.
Rodgers’ career took a downturn after he requested a trade to the New York Jets in 2023, echoing Favre’s own acrimonious exit from the Packers. Four plays into his Jets career, Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon, and missed virtually the rest of the 2023 season.
Rodgers returned in 2024 and went 5-12 in his second and final year in New York, and the team decided to release him following the season as he seemingly made more headlines for his podcast appearances than what he did on the field. Rodgers signed with Pittsburgh in June, and said the same month that this would likely be his final year in the NFL.
“I’m pretty sure this is it, you know, that’s why we just did a one-year deal,” Rodgers said then. “Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on that or anything. This is really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I’ve had.”
While Rodgers was noncommittal postgame, ESPN’s Troy Aikman, who called Monday’s game, said during the broadcast he doesn’t expect Rodgers back.
Aikman, the three-time Super Bowl champion who retired at 34 because of injuries, said: “I think we are watching Aaron Rodgers’ last game.”