Aaron Rodgers retirement: Is Steelers vs. Ravens Week 18 matchup the final game of a storied career if Pittsburgh loses?

The AFC North Division Title is at stake when the Ravens travel to Pittsburgh and battle the Steelers. 

One of the key questions coming in is if the Ravens get the win, will it be the final time Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers dons a football uniform? Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rodgers wasn't tipping his hand as the sole focus is on winning the division and advancing to the postseason.

"I'm thinking about this week, but obviously I'm 42 years old, and I'm on a one-year deal," Rodgers said. "So you know what the situation is. Whenever the season ends, I'll be a free agent. So that'll give me a lot of options if I still want to play. I mean, not a lot of options, but there'll be options, I would think, maybe one or two, if I decide I still want to play.

"I've enjoyed this experience, and everybody in Pittsburgh has been fantastic to me on and off the field. And it's really what I was hoping for this experience was, it's been even better than I was hoping."

The 42-year-old signed a one-year, $13.65 million contract with the Steelers with the idea at the time that he was "pretty sure" it'd be his final season in an interview conducted on "The Pat McAfee Show" when the deal was finalized. 

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is it," Rodgers told McAfee. "That's why we just did a one-year deal. Steelers didn't need to put any extra years on that or anything, so this was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I've had.

"I played 20 fricking years. It's been a long run. I've enjoyed it, and no better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL with Mike Tomlin and a great group of leadership and great guys in the city that expects you to win."

Whenever the season comes to a close, Rodgers plans on talking with his wife to discuss what the next step will be. Rodgers says the decision will come down to his desire to play the game instead of the physical aspects of playing in the NFL.

"I hope I can get through this stretch and feel good physically so that's not in the conversation," Rodgers said.

Rodgers is 9-6 as the starter for the Steelers. He's thrown for 3,028 yards with 23 touchdowns, with only seven interceptions and a 65.6% completion percentage. 

In the Week 17 loss to the Browns, Rodgers, without star wide receiver DK Metcalf, only completed 53.8% of his passes and threw for 168 yards. Rodgers isn't expecting another subpar performance with the stakes so high.

"I don't have a lot of stinkers back-to-back over the years," Rodgers said. "So it's the same mindset every week, same approach. Just expect greatness. And when it doesn't happen, you don't shift up the plan. You just keep on going and trust the process."

You can watch the Steelers vs. Ravens with NFL Game Pass on DAZN (excl. the US and China).