Even though Aaron Rodgers knows the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be waiting for his arrival on his first year of eligibility, it’s only natural for any great athlete to want to go out on top. Very few are able to fulfill that dream, but Rodgers’ teammates want to do their part in helping him reach the pinnacle of the sport one more time before closing his career.
During a recent conversation with Chris Harlan of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review, Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith admitted being extra motivated by Rodgers announcing 2026 will be his final NFL season.
Alex Highsmith wants to win for Aaron Rodgers
“We know our goal,” Highsmith told Harlan. “Not just get to the playoffs but when we get there to make noise. To win and go to the Super Bowl. But there definitely is extra added motivation to send ‘eight’ out the right way,” he added.
Not shying away from talking about the clear mission at hand, Highsmith is far from Rodgers’ only teammate thinking about giving the future Hall of Famer his “John Elway moment” and letting him out a champion for the second time, and first since, ironically, beating Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season.
Jamel Dean Knows What Winning a Championship With a Legendary QB is All About
Joining Highsmith in openly acknowledging the difference in trying to win a championship in general and then trying to do so for a legend, cornerback Jamel Dean, who signed a three-year, $36.75 million contract with the Steelers in March, knows all about providing one last championship experience for an aging quarterback. He was part of a group who accomplished that goal in just his second season in the NFL.
“It’s definitely a similar feeling,” said the now 29-year-old Dean, according to a story on NFL.com. “Aaron’s always been one of the top quarterbacks that I praise. … There’s a lot of confidence in him knowing that he’s still got it.”
Having spent the previous seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dean was a member of the Tom Brady-led Super Bowl LV winning team. Dean even recorded 62 total tackles – still his career – during that 2020 season and then added 16 more in the playoffs, also a mark he’s never topped since.
Pittsburgh Will Only Go as Far as Rodgers Takes Them
But no matter how much his teammates strive to step up for him, the Steelers will only go as far as Rodgers takes them with his own play. In 2025, he completed 65.7% of his passes, threw for 3,322 yards and tossed 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions. However, he only threw for 146 yards with a pick in Pittsburgh’s AFC Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans.
So while not nearly as mobile or dynamic as he once was, Rodgers, a four-time league MVP, hopes to stay healthy and at least duplicate his performance from last season as he puts a bowl on his illustrious career.
Multiple Steelers Willing to Acknowledge Extra Aaron Rodgers Motivation