Aaron Rodgers says his wife told him he could play in the 2026 season

Like previous offseasons, Aaron Rodgers had been noncommittal about his football future. In fact, he thought the 2025 season was it.

But he's back again for his 22nd season in 2026 and he's now said twice that it's his final year.

"Yeah, this is it," Rodgers reinforced to reporters July 28 on the Pittsburgh Steelers' first day of training camp.

So, what made the former Green Bay Packers quarterback decide to play again? Or better yet, who played a part in giving him the green light and also telling him this would be it?

His wife, Brittani .

"I thought last year might be it and then (former Packers coach) Mike (McCarthy) got hired and I talked to the wife," he said. "She said, 'You can do one more year. See if it works out.'"

Rodgers married a woman he says is named Brittani in spring 2025 before he decided to continue his career with the Steelers last season.

The four-time NFL MVP played in 16 games for the Steelers in 2025 and helped them win the division title, before losing in the wild-card playoff round. McCarthy, who coached Rodgers from 2005 to 2018 in Green Bay, was hired by the Steelers after longtime head coach Mike Tomlin resigned after the season.

Rodgers has kept details about his wife private since he said she doesn't want to be in the public eye. But he has provided a few more details about her over the last year.

#Steelers Aaron Rodgers confirms this is his last NFL season pic.twitter.com/KZV3NT4g5I

— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) July 28, 2026 Who is Aaron Rodgers' wife?

Aaron Rodgers is married to a woman named Brittani, someone he said he began dating in late 2024 but knew years earlier.

He first revealed that he had a new girlfriend during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" in December 2024 when he talked about buying Christmas presents for her and teammates. He called it "serious" months later. And when he showed up to the Kentucky Derby in May 2025 with what appeared to be a wedding band, questions escalated.

Asked about his marital status when he arrived to Pittsburgh last summer, he confirmed he got married .

"I got the most incredible wife. I just really love her, and I'm so thankful to have her by my side at the end,"  Rodgers said to NFL Network host Kyle Brandt . "When you meet the right one, and you're with the right one, your whole world changes in a second. To have that person that unconditionally loves you behind the scenes, there's no better feeling in the world."

And the woman has indeed stayed behind the scenes. Rodgers' wife hasn't been seen publicly with him and there are no public wedding photos of the two.

Who is Aaron Rodgers married to?

Aaron Rodgers said he met Brittani, whose last name is unknown, in 2017 before his relationships with Danica Patrick and Shailene Woodley began.

"I knew that there was something crazy-special about this and I wanted to be with her," he said. "And she would make funny comments like 'I would never live in Green Bay' and 'I don't want to be a player's wife.' She's not a public person. And then she moved back across the pond."

But after two failed relationships, the two apparently re-connected two years ago and soon married, though his close friends didn't even know about a wedding.

"Been a couple of months," Rodgers said in June 2025 about the wedding.

Unlike in his previous relationships to fellow celebrities, Rodgers' wife doesn't want to be in the spotlight.

"I’m with somebody who's private, who doesn’t want to be in the public eye, didn’t sign up to be a celebrity, doesn’t want to be part of it,"  Rodgers said during another appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" on June 24, 2025 .

Rodgers said earlier this year that he has had to move from his Malibu, California, beach house after paparazzi has stalked him in trying to get a photo of the two.

"The obsession is f------ bizarre. That's the only way to put it," he said. "The obsession is really bizarre. ... We're not living at the beach anymore. Part of it is I have legitimate stalkers and I don't say that lightly or flippantly. I've been getting stalked at my house for about a year and a half, when I was living there. Not just that but stalked at the coffee shop I would frequent, the gym that I would go to, which was really bizarre. Still is."

Aaron Rodgers age

Rodgers is 42 years old. He turns 43 on Dec. 2.

He's the oldest player in the NFL.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aaron Rodgers says his wife told him he could play in the 2026 season

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