Wide receiver Adam Thielen already announced his retirement from the NFL. But it sounds as though the wideout might not stay retired.
Roughly two weeks after his retirement announcement, Thielen addressed it while appearing on the “Pardon My Take” podcast Wednesday. Specifically, Thielen answered what it could take for him to come back in 2026.
In summary, Thielen said it would be playing with quarterback Aaron Rodgers again.
“I think my wife hopes he retires, because if he doesn’t, I might come out of retirement,” Thielen said while laughing on January 21. “He can still do it for sure.
“I think for him it’s gonna come down to, I would imagine, I don’t wanna speak for him, but it’ll come down to just whether he wants to or not. I think he can definitely do it.”
In 12 NFL seasons, Thielen played just five games with Rodgers as his quarterback. But Heavy Sports’ Trevor Squire explained the two have a history.
Thielen and Rodgers spent nine seasons together in the NFC North from 2014-22. The quarterback and wide receiver also play golf together in the offseason.
In five games with the Steelers, Thielen posted 11 catches for 117 yards. The veteran was also a blocking asset and helped other Pittsburgh receivers get open with his route running.
During the AFC wild card round, Thielen caught his two targets for 25 yards.
Adam Thielen’s Steelers Future Tied to Aaron Rodgers?
Thielen stating he would sign up to play with Rodgers again is interesting on multiple levels. For one, pundits tied Thielen’s former team, the Minnesota Vikings, to Rodgers last offseason.
After a subpar second season from J.J. McCarthy, could the Vikings target Rodgers in 2026? If they wanted to, perhaps Thielen would even help recruit him to Minnesota. A Minnesota native, Thielen played parts of 10 seasons with the Vikings, including the beginning of 2025.
In Pittsburgh, it seems unlikely the duo will reunite. Unless the Steelers hire veteran head coach Mike McCarthy, the organization has a good chance to have a head coach younger than Rodgers.
That head coach will likely want a fresh start behind center. That means Thielen won’t be back either.
Could Thielen Make NFL Midseason Return in 2026?
At the end of their careers, many veterans still enjoy playing games but don’t love the training to do so. Offseason workouts during the hot summers are particularly undesirable for 10-year and more veterans.
But those veterans also understand that NFL players can’t just show up on game days or begin playing when the games seemingly count more in November and December.
Thielen didn’t rule out a midseason return next year for a team desperately wanting a wideout for the stretch run. But he didn’t seem too wild about the idea either.
“Let’s say it’s the end of October, November, and a team calls and has a need at receiver, that’s gonna be a tough one,” Thielen said. “But I also have been so all-in for so long that I’ve taken my offseason training so seriously. I’m not gonna do that.
“So, I just don’t think that at that point I would feel good about playing at a high level. So I’ll never say never, but I feel really good about where I’m at.”
Philip Rivers and Brandon Graham were two legendary players who returned midseason during 2025. Rivers’s return caused shockwaves around the league, as he was out of the NFL for nearly five years.
So, as Thielen said, never say never. It just doesn’t sound like that’s Thielen’s 2026 plan.
Steelers Veteran Speaks out on NFL Retirement