The notorious Aaron Rodgers retreat has grown in size.
The Steelers’ quarterback recently shared a group photo on Instagram with six teammates, captioned “Last rodeo. #bondingweek.”
This featured players like Michael Pittman Jr., Ben Skowronek, Roman Wilston, Mason Rudolph, DK Metcalf, and Pat Freiermuth, and it had that “Yellowstone” vibe.
During the retreat, the Steelers enjoyed horseback riding, bonfire gatherings, paddleboarding, and even cowboy dress-up, all in a scenic setting.
Rodgers, now 42, has hinted that this upcoming season will be his last, hence the “Last Rodeo” caption as he gears up for a farewell tour.
His teammates had some fun at his expense in the comments, with Pittman and Skowronek referring to him as “Ankh.”
After much deliberation, Rodgers decided to stay with the Steelers, signing a one-year contract worth $22.5 million.
This agreement brings the former Packer and Jet back together with head coach Mike McCarthy, who had a long tenure with Rodgers in Green Bay.
Rodgers reflected, saying, “I thought that was probably the limit for me in Pittsburgh. But when we decided to hire Mike, I started opening myself up to coming back.”
He mentioned that he had suggested to Steelers general manager Omar Khan to consider McCarthy for the position, although he wasn’t sure how serious it would turn out to be.
Rodgers noted that his comfort with the coaching staff was also a factor in his return, recalling that the first meeting took him back to feeling like a young player in Green Bay.
Rodgers is heading into his 22nd NFL season.
Last year, he had a fairly solid performance, throwing for 3,322 yards, with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, helping the team win the NFC North, although they lost to the Texans in the wild card round.
While he may not have been at his MVP-winning peak from 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021, he still achieved a completion rate of 65.7%, averaging 6.7 yards per attempt and 207.6 yards per game.
