Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was playing through a significant health problem during the team’s playoff game last season.
Rodgers said he was battling flu-like symptoms prior to the Steelers’ AFC Wild Card loss to the Houston Texans. Though Rodgers felt he had recovered by the start of the game, the team had actually sent him home the day before the game.
“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 admitted Saturday, via Michael Silver of The Athletic.
Rodgers said he experienced fever and vomiting, but former Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said the quarterback was “downplaying” how sick he was.
“There was never a question he was gonna play, and he’s never one to complain, but he looked terrible (before the game),” Smith said.
Rodgers struggled during that game, going 17/33 for 146 yards with two turnovers. At the time, it was largely chalked up to the Texans’ outstanding defense, and Rodgers did not seem to be doing badly after the game, either.
Either way, Rodgers is returning for one more season. That will not be his last time on an NFL field, which might have been one motivating factor to play for the Steelers in 2026.
