Aaron Rodgers’ Steelers Return Not Held Up By Money

For a second offseason in a row, Aaron Rodgers is playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the Steelers. Despite every indication that the 42-year-old will be Pittsburgh’s starter in 2026 – including a lack of other options – he has yet to finalize that decision.

The delay is unrelated to financial compensation, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Steelers placed a UFA tender on Rodgers, which will pay him 110% of last year’s salary, or just over $15MM. He can still sign with another team, but that deal would factor into the compensatory pick formula.

This sets up a situation in which Rodgers is virtually guaranteed to play in Pittsburgh this year or sit out the season entirely, which would likely mean the end of his 21-year career. Even if another club wanted Rodgers, they may not want to risk losing a high-value compensatory pick by signing him. As such, any offer would likely be well below what he stands to make with the Steelers. Though the current holdup may not be based on money, that does not necessarily mean that Rodgers would be willing to accept a lesser deal from another team.

Other than a return to Pittsburgh, Rodgers does not have a clear path forward. Retirement rumors have followed the four-time MVP for years, and his play in the last two seasons represented a precipitous drop from his time in Green Bay. The Steelers still went 10-6 and made the playoffs last year, so Rodgers may feel that he has some winning football left in him. His relationships with head coach Mike McCarthy and several members of his new staff would appear to be another reason for him to don the black and yellow for another year.

But with multiple Steelers-set deadlines in the rearview, there is no way of knowing when Rodgers will make a decision and what that decision will be. Pittsburgh did not pursue any veteran quarterbacks this offseason and only added Penn State’s Drew Allar in the third round of the draft. He joins Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard in the Steelers’ quarterback room, essentially making them reliant on a Rodgers return to put forth a competitive team in 2026.