Sports

Will Aaron Rodgers' Final Season Go Better Than Brett Favre's?

By Andrew Perloff Athlon Sports

Updated May 21, 2026 1:26 PM

Aaron Rodgers' decision to return to Pittsburgh for another season looks good on paper. He's reuniting with head coach Mike McCarthy and the Steelers upgraded their offensive weapons. But when it comes to great quarterbacks, we get amnesia. Players and fans both think that there's always one more magical run. With few exceptions, elite QBs enter their final season with high expectations and ultimately disappoint.

Rodgers made it clear that this is his last hurrah. While everyone remembers John Elway riding off into the sunset with the Lombardi Trophy in hand, that is not how this usually works. Even for the greatest of all time, injuries or poor play are the standard.

Before making any Steelers predictions, check out the good, the bad and the ugly of final seasons for the last 12 Hall of Fame quarterbacks ...

The good

John Elway

He is the gold standard for athletes retiring at the right time. Elway was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIII, a 34-19 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He played 13 games that season and had only minor injuries before completing his second straight championship run. Elway left the game relatively unscathed and on his terms.

Joe Montana

At 38, Montana was still playing at a high level and led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 9-7 record and a playoff appearance in 1994. He later told USA Today that he had some regrets about not returning for one more season. But his decision was influenced by a series of injuries, including a concerning concussion.

Kurt Warner

Warner led the Cardinals to a 51-45 wild card win over the Packers in his second-to-last game. Then, in the divisional round he took a vicious hit while chasing a defender after an interception. He did return to the game but was eventually pulled in a loss to the Bounty-Gate era Saints. Warner, 38 at the time, later said he already knew he was going to retire but that final hit might have helped convince him.

The bad

Peyton Manning

How can walking off after a Super Bowl victory be bad? Look at Manning's actual season. No QB in history has had as sharp a statistical decline in his final year as Manning did. He went from 4,727 yards, 39 TDs and 15 INTs in 2014 to 2,249 yards, 9 TDs and 17 INTs in 2015. He even lost the starting job to Brock Osweiler. Manning had a foot injury, on top of complications from his 2011 spinal/neck fusion surgery. His ability to lead Denver to a title in 2015 was admirable, but it doesn't tell the whole story of a challenging final season.

Tom Brady

While he's not officially a Hall of Famer yet, Brady is a safe bet to make this list. Brady announced his first retirement after the 2021 season and should have stuck to it. He unretired 40 days later and came back to the Bucs for 2022 and finished with his first losing season at 8-9. While his stats were adequate - 25 TDs, 9 INTs - he didn't seem to have his typical intensity. Brady later revealed his final season took a toll on him personally, as he dealt with his divorce from Gisele Bündchen.

Dan Marino

Marino hurt his shoulder early in his final season and ended 1999 with 12 TDs and 17 INTs. He did lead the Dolphins to a wild card victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Unfortunately, that set up one of the worst last games a great player has ever had - a 62-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round. Marino completed 11 of 25 passes for 1 TD and 2 INTs and lost two fumbles before leaving the game early.

Jim Kelly

The Bills quarterback suffered a concussion in the 1996 wild card game and was carted off the field. He never played again, although Kelly said physically he could have continued his career. Kelly had an injury-plagued season, throwing 14 TDs and 19 INTs. While still only 35, Kelly also was likely aware that the window had closed on the Bills' chances of winning a Super Bowl.

Warren Moon

Moon is unique on this list for ending his career as a backup. He played just three games in his final two seasons with the Chiefs, sitting behind Elvis Grbac for the 7-9 Chiefs in 2000. At the time, just suiting up at 44 was considered impressive.

The ugly

Brett Favre

Favre spent his final two seasons in Minnesota. The penultimate year was phenomenal (33 TDs, 7 INTs, trip to the NFC title game). The ole gunslinger should have walked away, but the Vikings convinced him to return. He threw 11 TDs compared to 19 INTs while dealing with a slew of injuries in 2010. His streak of 297 consecutive starts was snapped and he was fined by the NFL for his behavior toward team reporter Jenn Sterger with the Jets two years prior.

Drew Brees

The New Orleans Saints legend took his team to the playoffs in his final season, and his number were respectable (24 TDs, 6 INTs). But it was tough to watch him struggle through a shoulder issue, a foot injury, broken ribs and a punctured lung. Brees didn't look like himself and threw three interceptions in a divisional round playoff loss to Tom Brady and the Bucs in 2020. After retiring, Brees told ESPN "when I throw in the backyard right now, I throw left-handed."

Troy Aikman

Although he was just 34 in 2000, Aikman's final season was physically brutal. He suffered his 10th concussion on a hit from LaVar Arrington and dealt with chronic back pain. He ended up playing 11 games and throwing 7 TDs and 14 INTs. Aikman later flirted with coming back, but ultimately stayed in the television booth.

Steve Young

Young played well in his second-to-last season, leading the NFL with 36 touchdown passes. He seemed to still be capable of elite play and entered 1999 with high hopes. In Week 3, Young suffered a brutal concussion against the Cardinals - his fourth in three years - and decided to walk away from the game at 38.

This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 1:09 PM.