Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Strong Sickness Caused Big Problem

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of a well-documented drought when it comes to postseason success. The organization has remained competitive in the regular season, and the streak of non-losing seasons has continued on, but a playoff win has been hard to come by. The franchise has not advanced in the postseason since the 2016 season, and they've not just lost in the playoffs, they've  been completely embarrassed. Pittsburgh has made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and the team has lost by a combined 52 points. The worst of those losses came at the end of the 2025 season.

The Steelers played the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs and lost by a score of 30-6. The team got humiliated on their own field, and that seemed like it was going to be the end for Aaron Rodgers. His last pass was actually a pick-six to Houston, and that could have wound up being the final throw of his legendary career. However, he decided to return to Pittsburgh for one last season, and he is hoping to put that playoff performance behind him.

Rodgers sat down with Michael Silver of The Athletic, and he shared that he was actually not feeling very well ahead of that game. He revealed he had the flu in an exclusive interview, which explains the performance.

"I wasn’t feeling good, and I actually came over to the team hotel, and they sent me home — probably because I was pale and looked like s—," Rodgers explained.

For those that do not know, players usually stay in a hotel the night before a game even when it is a home game. It is usually closer to the stadium, and the various conference rooms and whatnot allows everyone to meet under one roof and put the finishing touches on a game plan. Rodgers was sent home from that hotel due to him showing clear signs of being sick.

Rodgers seemed to just say he was feeling under the weather, but what he described seemed like more than the common cold. He had flu-like symptoms, and he still managed to suit up for Pittsburgh. Former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith also spoke to Silver and gave some insight to Rodgers' sickness.

"He’s definitely downplaying it," Smith said. "There was never a question he was gonna play, and he’s never one to complain, but he looked terrible (before the game)."

Despite having what may have been the flu, there was never a doubt that Rodgers was going to play in the playoff game. He was Pittsburgh's best option at quarterback, even with a full-blown sickness. Things did not go Pittsburgh's way, and a lot of that falls on the offense, but it would have been hard to win that game anyway.

Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Is Now Looking For Redemption

In his interview with Silver, Rodgers stated that he was perfectly fine to retire after the 2025 season. He is satisfied with his career in football, and he was all ready to retire even though his last game would have been an embarrassing playoff loss where he was struggling with the flu. The veteran quarterback decided to return and reunite with his former head coach Mike McCarthy, and now the two are trying to recapture some of that magic they had while they were with the Green Bay Packers.

The Steelers need to win a playoff game, but it is probably going to be hard to even get a chance to in 2026. Pittsburgh will be taking on a first place schedule after winning the AFC North in 2025, and both the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are looking to bounce back in a big way.