Aaron Rodgers has revealed that talks with his mysterious wife Brittani walked him back from the brink of retirement this year – but insists he really will quit the game for good after the 2026 campaign.The 42-year-old quarterback spoke to reporters in Pittsburgh at practice camp ahead of the new campaign, which for the Steelers starts against Atlanta Falcons on September 13.He repeated his view that he thought his playing days were done when head coach Mike Tomlin stepped away when the 2025 season ended. But things changed when Mike McCarthy, the coach Rodgers won a Super Bowl with at the Green Bay Packers, came in and replaced him.’I thought last year might be it,’ said a particularly softly-spoken Rodgers on Tuesday. ‘And then Mike got hired and I talked to the wife and she said “you can do one more year, see if it works out” and then it all came together’.But that really will be that, Rodgers said – despite teammate DK Metcalf already talking up the possibility of the legendary quarterback going back on his word.’No, zero debate,’ Rodgers said when asked if there’s a chance he could play on. Aaron Rodgers has insisted that the 2026 season will be he last as an NFL player Rodgers said his wife gave permission to play on for one more season at Pittsburgh SteelersRodgers added that he might take an extra rest day on occasion throughout the 2026 campaign in order to stay as fresh as possible for gamedays.Rodgers has toyed with fans about the identity of his wife, insisting he will keep her out of the public eye but routinely referencing her during his media appearances. He first mentioned her on The Pat McAfee Show in December 2024 during a regular weekly appearance.Then, in June 2025, he said: ‘I am 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.’And because I do things in private because I want my personal life to be private and now I’m somehow weird and now the paparazzi is stalking me on the beach trying to get a picture of her, stalking me in the workout.’But he would continue to spark interest in her by drip-feeding stories about their relationship through his McAfee appearances – even specifying her name was ‘Brittani with an I’.He said they first met in 2017 and added: ‘I knew that there was something crazy-special about this and I wanted to be with her. 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.”At Steelers camp last June, Rodgers said he had married Brittani and was wearing a ring. The 42-year-old admitted he thought his career was over when Mike Tomlin left the team ‘Been a couple of months,’ he said, before elaborating on his happiness with NFL Network’s Kyle Brandt.’When you meet the right one, and you’re with the right one, your whole world changes in a second,’ he said.Recently, Rodgers confirmed that he had patched up a long-running feud with his parents that is believed to have lasted around 10 years. He took to Instagram to share pictures alongside them, as well as with his brother Luke.