Warren Moon Says Aaron Rodgers Will Return Next Season, And Here's Why!

Aaron Rodgers isn't retiring this year, cause if he wanted to walk away, he would've done it already ... so says NFL great Warren Moon, who tells TMZ Sports the quarterback still has what it takes to play!

Of course, 42-year-old Rodgers' future is up in the air as the future Hall of Famer hasn't committed to playing next season for the Steelers or for any other team.

Moon, who's already in Canton, fully believes Rodgers won't be hanging up his cleats ... saying the signal-caller likes keeping himself in the mix.

"I think he wants to come and I think he is gonna come back," Moon told Michael Babcock. "If he was gonna retire, he would have done it by now."

Moon -- who threw for over 49K yards and 291 touchdowns during his 17-season career -- believes Rodgers still has plenty left in his tank, noting that despite the playoff loss to the Texans and their fearsome defense, he had a strong season overall.

Warren added that a defeat like that can leave a bad taste in anybody's mouth and provide motivation to come back.

"I'm sure those things have been on his mind, but I think for the most part, he likes playing football, he likes competing, he likes the limelight, so I think he'll be back for those reasons as well," Moon said.

Assuming Rodgers does return to the Steelers, Moon said the team could be a legitimate contender if it adds the right pieces.

We also discussed Rodgers' age. He'll turn 43 this season, something Moon can relate to ... he played in the NFL until he was 44.

According to Moon, though, age isn't the end-all, be-all, assuming you take care of yourself.

"I think he can still play for a long time," Moon said,