Tom Brady discusses Aaron Rodgers' retirement mindset after Mike Tomlin's departure from Steelers

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers declined to say after Pittsburgh's wild-card playoff loss to the Houston Texans on Jan. 12 whether or not that was the last game of his playing career. 

Rodgers and other Pittsburgh players were then left stunned when head coach Mike Tomlin announced this past Tuesday that he was stepping down after spending 19 seasons in the role. 

Living legend Tom Brady knows a little bit about making decisions regarding retirement. During Thursday's edition of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" program, Brady addressed his experiences compared to what may be going on in Rodgers' head this winter. 

How Tom Brady knew it was time to retire

"My last season was tough," Brady explained, per Michael McDaniel of Sports Illustrated. "I was going through — I had a lot of personal ... a family issue, and it was a challenge, and it was very ... it just took a lot out of me in terms of my ability to continue to play. ... I had 23 years of it. I didn't feel like I was missing anything retiring. ... I wanted to spend time with my kids. I felt like, okay, it was time for me to be at all my kids' games. They'd been to enough of their dad’s games. Aaron’s got his own decisions he's gotta make. He doesn't have kids. He’s trying to navigate what he wants to do, post-career. It’s hard to give up football, too. It's something we're really good at. It's something you love to do."

Brady first retired from playing in February 2022, but he ultimately returned to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' active roster the following month. During what became the final season of his Hall of Fame career, he dealt with issues related to his health and his divorce from Gisele Bundchen. 

For what it's worth, Rodgers allegedly leaked shortly after he turned 42 years old in December that he "probably" will retire this offseason. He reportedly sobbed after Tomlin told Steelers players about his decision to step away from the team. 

Tom Brady says Aaron Rodgers must be honest with himself

"To me, it's [a question of], 'Do you want to make this commitment year-round?' Because if you don’t, well, then it’s never going to turn out well when the season happens," Brady continued during the segment. "In order to be a great NFL player, you’ve gotta commit and be fully in, and that’s the only way your team is going to have a chance to win ... especially when you're a starting quarterback. And only Aaron can decide that for himself."

Rodgers is on track to reach free agency when the new league year opens in March. He didn't officially sign with the Steelers until June of last year, so it's fair to think he could take some time before confirming his intentions for the 2026 campaign.