Johnny Unitas, Chargers.

Aaron Rodgers enters his final year with the best and worst ‘Last Dance’ QB seasons in NFL history

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So much for Aaron Rodgers.

After re-signing with the Steelers on a one-year deal over the weekend, Rodgers confirmed to reporters that this will be his last NFL season. Rodgers originally said last summer that he was “pretty sure” the 2025 season would be his last, but he instead returned in 2026. This time, Rodgers said he was certain he intended to retire after the season.

Five years after Rodgers retires, he will head to Canton, Ohio to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, joining other legendary quarterbacks who have earned the prestigious honor. There are various endings available for these signal callers. Some players, like John Elway and Peyton Manning, came out on top as champions despite not having great individual performances in their final years. Players like Joe Montana, Fran Tarkenton, and Kurt Warner had quality seasons and led their teams to the playoffs.

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But many Hall of Fame quarterbacks don’t have a Cinderella ending. Warren Moon was primarily a reserve until playing his final two years. Dynasty leaders Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr were severely hampered in their final seasons by injuries to their pitching arms that required surgery. Troy Aikman and Steve Young suffered concussions in their later years, and Young lost consciousness early in the 1999 season, ending his career.

So what does that mean for Rodgers? At least he can prevent his career from ending with the horrific pick-six he threw against the Texans last January. As the final season approaches, here are the best and worst career performances of other Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

Best:

tom brady

Final season: 2022
statistics: 4,694 yards, 25 TDs, 9 INTs, passer rating of 90.7

Father Time’s biggest challenger, Tom Brady, had his swan song, statistically the most prolific season as a quarterback. The Buccaneers finished with 8 wins and 9 losses, but still made it to the postseason. While far from the most efficient season for the GOAT, it was an unprecedented level of play for the 45-year-old signal-caller (the second-oldest quarterback to play the game).

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Drew Brees

Final season: 2020
statistics: 2,942 yards, 24 TDs, 6 INTs, passer rating 106.4

Drew Brees missed part of his final season due to broken ribs and a collapsed lung, but he led the Saints to the divisional round of the playoffs, where they lost to Brady’s Buccaneers, capping off his career on a high note. Brees went 9-3 during the regular season and maintained his signature accuracy, completing 70.5% of his passes until his retirement after the 2020 season.

Roger Staubach

Final season: 1979
statistics: 3,568 yards, 27 TDs, 11 INTs, passer rating of 92.3

“Captain America” ​​ended his Cowboys career on a high in 1979, setting career highs in passing yards and touchdowns and leading Dallas to the postseason. Staubach led the league in passer rating, won his sixth Pro Bowl, and could have continued playing, but retired due to concerns about his number of concussions.

Norm Van Brocklin

Final season: 1960
statistics: 2,471 yards, 24 TD, 17 INT, passer rating 86.5

Few players have finished their careers on better terms than Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin. He led the Eagles to the NFL Championship in 1960 and was named league MVP. Van Brocklin had his best year in his final season, leading the only team to defeat Vince Lombardi’s Packers in the championship game. Van Brocklin, also a punter, averaged 43.1 yards on 60 punts last season. He became a coach soon after retiring and joined the Vikings.

otto graham

Final season: 1955
statistics: 1,721 yards, 15 TD, 8 INT, passer rating 94.0

No quarterback in NFL history has finished his time in the league in better shape than Otto Graham. He won the NFL MVP and NFL Championship in 1955, capping off a Hall of Fame career with the Browns. Graham originally retired after the 1954 season, but head coach Paul Brown invited him back. Graham famously led the Browns to the championship game and deservedly came out on top in all 10 seasons of pro football.

more: 30 greatest NFL players of all time

worst:

Johnny Unitas

Johnny Unitas has finished his career as a Charger. |Image by Malcolm Emmons Iman

Final season: 1973
statistics: 471 yards, 3 TD, 7 INT, passer rating 40.0

Johnny Unitas’ career approaching felt wrong on so many levels. The legendary quarterback was traded from the Colts to the Chargers in his final NFL season. He started just four games and went 1-3 before another Hall of Famer, Dan Fouts, took over. According to new york times“Unitas did not sit on the bench. He simply left the game.” He was then assigned to the taxi squad (now known as the practice squad). He retired the following summer.

Joe Namath

Joe Namath, Rams.

Joe Namath’s career ended with a short and memorable stint with the Rams. |Manny Rubio-Iman Image

Final season: 1977
statistics: 606 yards, 3 TD, 5 INT, passer rating 54.5

Like Unitas, Namath’s career oddly ended with a one-year stint with the California team, spending the 1977 season with the Rams. Namath started four games, but after completing 16 of 40 passes while throwing four picks in a loss to the Bears, he was benched and retired at the end of the season.

more: How Joe Namath transformed the Super Bowl

Dan Marino

Final season: 1999
statistics: 2,448 yards, 12 TD, 17 INT, passer rating 67.4

There aren’t many players in NFL history who deserved a more Cinderella ending than Dan Marino, but he just couldn’t figure it out. A great quarterback who never won a Super Bowl, Marino finished his time in the NFL at 5-6 while posting the lowest completion percentage and passer rating of his career. Although he had the option to continue playing with another team after the season, he chose to retire and spend his career with the Dolphins alone.

YA title

Final season: 1964
statistics: 1,798 yards, 10 TD, 22 INT, passer rating 51.6

Like Marino, Tittle infamously failed to win a championship during his illustrious career. Although he had the best season of his career the year before he retired after winning NFL MVP, Tittle saw his play rapidly decline in his final season. The legendary quarterback struggled through injury-plagued final seasons in 1964, throwing more than twice as many interceptions as touchdowns and leading the Giants to a 1-8-2 record.

Brett Favre

Final season: 2010
statistics: 2,509 yards, 11 TD, 19 INT, passer rating 69.9

Favre teased retirement multiple times, finally calling it a career after the 2010 season. He had just led the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game in 2009, but Favre and Minnesota struggled to 5-8 in his final season as a starter. Despite his record-setting durability for much of his career, his final season ended a bit early as he missed the final game due to a concussion.

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