Steelers, Aaron Rodgers Agree To Deal
Speculation surrounding the second year of the Steelers-Aaron Rodgers partnership can be put to rest. A deal is indeed in place between team and player.
Rodgers has agreed to another one-year Pittsburgh contract, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Rodgers has long been expected to suit up for the 2026 season. He will do so and reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy in the process while delaying retirement once more.
This pact has a base value between $22MM and $23MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It can max out at $25MM via incentives. Pelissero notes $22MM is guaranteed. Last year, Rodgers collected $10MM guaranteed and over $14MM in total, so this new deal certainly marks a considerable raise.
McCarthy – who took over following Mike Tomlin‘s resignation – remained in constant communication with Rodgers in recent months. That helped fuel the belief a reunion between the two would be forthcoming, although no firm commitments were known to be made by the four-time MVP. In the end, the anticipated outcome has emerged. Pelissero adds, to no surprise, Rodgers is set to take part in the start of organized team activities on Monday.
OTAs represented the latest artificial deadline for an agreement in this case. The Steelers hoped to avoid a lengthy waiting period on the Rodgers front after one took place in 2025. As the draft came and went, uncertainty continued to loom with respect to Pittsburgh’s quarterback outlook. Drew Allar was added in the third round of the event, but he will spend the coming campaign as a developmental passer. Veteran Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard are also in the fold.
In the event a Rodgers agreement fell through, Rudolph and Howard were set to engage in a training camp competition with Pittsburgh not seeking an outside addition. The latest update on that front confirmed, however, that both passers were expected to occupy depth roles in 2026. Not long after receiving the rarely-used UFA tender, Rodgers is indeed in the mix. The future Hall of Famer was seen in Pittsburgh today with some members of the Steelers, and he will spend the coming months preparing for his 22nd NFL season.
A visit from earlier this month suggested an agreement was imminent, although it was only Rogers’ agent who spoke with the Steelers at that time. Finances were not seen as an issue regarding a second arrangement between the parties, something which has proven to be true. An otherwise low-cost Pittsburgh quarterback room will no doubt continue to face questions regarding the future as the 2026 season plays out, but there will be stability atop the depth chart.
Rodgers made 16 appearances during the year in 2025 and also played in Pittsburgh’s wild-card loss. His statistical output over that span fell short of his peak years but offered Pittsburgh with a high floor in QB play, especially relative to the team’s other post-Ben Roethlisberger passers. Expectations will need to be tempered as Rodgers approaches his age-42 campaign, but the Steelers have made several notable offseason additions on offense. Improved play with those new faces, and a revamped staff led by McCarthy, could see the Steelers end their drought (2016-present) for playoff victories.
A veteran-laden core remains in place on defense in particular for Pittsburgh. Rodgers will be expected to help the win-now group justify the commitment from owner Art Rooney II, general manager Omar Khan and Co. to contending in 2026 instead of resetting under center this spring. Questions will loom about the Steelers’ plans over medium- and long-term future at the quarterback position, but for at least one more season the status quo will be in place.
Steelers Not Expecting Will Howard, Drew Allar To Play In 2026; Latest On Aaron Rodgers
As was the case at this time last spring, the Steelers do not have an established starting quarterback. They are once again awaiting an answer from free agent Aaron Rodgers, who took until early June to join the Steelers last year. Rodgers was in Pittsburgh last week, though the future Hall of Famer did not visit team facilities. While no deal has materialized since then, “all signs” point to Rodgers re-signing, James Palmer of Bleacher Report says.
The Steelers’ decision to wait for Rodgers last year worked out fine during the regular season. The former Packer and Jet posted respectable production over 16 starts, during which the Steelers went 10-6. They lost to Chicago in his only absence, a Week 12 game in which Mason Rudolph started.
The Steelers’ 10-7 finish was good enough to earn an AFC North title, but the Texans trounced them in a 30-6 wild-card round matchup. After losing his seventh straight playoff game, 19-year head coach Mike Tomlin resigned.
Given his affinity for Tomlin, it initially appeared the 42-year-old Rodgers would either retire or play elsewhere in 2026. But the Steelers reopened the door for a second season with Rodgers when they hired Mike McCarthy to replace Tomlin. McCarthy coached Rodgers in Green Bay from 2006-18. The two won the only Super Bowl of their respective careers together in 2010, and Rodgers took home a pair of his four MVP awards under McCarthy.
Rodgers’ MVP form is long gone, but he still looks like the Steelers’ best bet to find a passable starter at this juncture of the offseason. The free agent market has dried up, the draft has passed, and there are no surefire upgrades available via trade.
In the unlikely event Rodgers does not re-up with the Steelers, it would leave them with Rudolph (a career backup), Will Howard and Drew Allar as in-house options. A previous report suggested the Rodgers-less Steelers could stage a competition between Rudolph and Howard, but Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show passes along different information. The Steelers “have no expectations” that Howard or Allar will play this year, according to Kaboly.
Pittsburgh spent a 2025 sixth-rounder on Howard, who won a national championship at Ohio State but has not garnered any meaningful NFL experience. Howard did not take a single snap in his first season.
As for Allar, the third-round rookie from Penn State has serious work to do before he steps foot on a regular-season field in the pros. McCarthy and QBs coach Tom Arth are rebuilding Allar’s mechanics “from the ground up,” Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reports. That suggests Allar could be in for a redshirt season in 2026, regardless of whether Rodgers returns.
The Steelers will continue molding Allar as they begin voluntary OTAs on Monday, which Palmer notes is a date many “have circled” for a potential Rodgers decision. If the Steelers are still without an answer then, Rudolph will presumably enter the proceedings as the de facto QB1. The 30-year-old has just 19 starts on his resume. Rodgers has made 257. Because they placed the uncommon UFA tender on Rodgers, the Steelers will have exclusive negotiating rights with him if he is still unsigned past July 22.
Steelers Prepared For Will Howard-Mason Rudolph QB Competition; Latest On Aaron Rodgers
This past weekend came and went without any deal being finalized between Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. The future Hall of Famer was indeed in Pittsburgh, but contact was not made with the team.
SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora confirms as much, adding there has yet to be a firm commitment provided by the player to the team in this long-running (but familiar) saga. Rodgers remained unsigned until June 5 in 2025, and with spring practices approaching for this year it is still unclear if a second Steelers campaign will be in store. New head coach Mike McCarthy has begun installing his offense with Pittsburgh’s three current passers, a group which includes rookie Drew Allar but two quarterbacks he inherited.
The two of them – 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard along with veteran Mason Rudolph – loom as QB1 options as things stand. La Canfora reports the Steelers have not been in contact with non-Rodgers free agents or with outside teams regarding a trade for a passer. The team has kept the door open to a Rodgers reunion, but clarity was expected well before this point of the spring. In event no deal is worked out, a competition among the incumbent quarterbacks will take place.
On that note, La Canfora adds Howard continues to be a player whose development the team remains “very excited about.” McCarthy praised the Ohio State product earlier this offseason, but it still came as little surprise when Pittsburgh made a second straight draft investment in the form of Allar. Howard will nevertheless have a “very real chance” to land the QB1 gig over Rudolph if Rodgers retires or the decision is made to move forward without him.
The Steelers recently placed the rarely-used UFA tender on Rodgers to provide insurance against the unlikely possibility of him signing elsewhere. The 42-year-old was originally on course to have Pittsburgh tenure last only one season, but over time all parties warmed to the idea of a 2026 agreement. The decision by Mike Tomlin to resign as head coach left Rodgers without a staffer he enjoyed working with, although McCarthy is a familiar face given their previous time in Green Bay. McCarthy has consistently said he would welcome a Rodgers reunion.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor notes (video link) May 18 is still a date to watch closely in this situation. That marks the beginning of the Steelers’ OTAs. Pittsburgh’s preference would no doubt be to have Rodgers under contract before that point, and finances are not believed to be an issue as it pertains to the four-time MVP. It will be interesting to see if recent talks involving his agent have laid the groundwork for a contract.
If Rodgers does not wind up joining the team relatively soon, attention will turn to a potential Howard-Rudolph training camp competition. Howard, 24, did not seen any action during the regular season as a rookie, while Rudolph has 19 starts to his name. The 30-year-old returned to Pittsburgh last offseason, and he is on the books for one more year. With the Steelers aiming to contend for the playoffs once again in 2026, expectations would likely be tempered in the event their quarterback setup arrived at such a situation. That would of course be avoided with a Rodgers signing, but uncertainty still looms over his immediate future.
Aaron Rodgers Expected To Visit Steelers, Finalize 2026 Deal
MAY 9: According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rodgers has been in Pittsburgh over the last few days, but he, personally, has not been meeting with the Steelers. While the team’s three-day rookie minicamp is taking place, Rodgers has stayed away from the team facilities, and his agent has been tasked with negotiating with Pittsburgh’s front office.
Dulac claimed it’s possible Rodgers may finally meet with the team “in the next day or two,” if the two sides are able to work out terms for an agreement, before quickly running through the list of misleading headlines that have hinted at forward progress throughout the offseason. With Rodgers finally at least in the same city, it does still look like things are coming to a conclusion, but if the Steelers can’t secure a commitment from Rodgers by the start of OTAs on May 18, as Dulac put it, “the team’s patience with him could grow thin.”
MAY 7: Finality on the Aaron Rodgers front may be imminent. His second Steelers contract has yet to be signed, but that could change over the coming days.
Rodgers is set to visit Pittsburgh ahead of signing a deal this weekend, as first reported by 93.7 The Fan (video link). Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show cautions the Steelers themselves have not yet been informed of this news, although he adds an agreement is still widely expected to be finalized.
Rodgers is set to visit beginning tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds. He confirms a Steelers agreement for 2026 remains the expectation for all involved. The rarely-used UFA tender came into play last week, but Rapoport notes that is viewed as a placeholder. Rodgers would collect roughly $15MM if he were to play on the one-year tender in 2026, though the upcoming summit will allow for a more traditional contract to be worked out.
When Rodgers signed with Pittsburgh last spring, it appeared as though 2025 would be his final NFL season. Over time, though, it became increasingly clear he would be open to playing a 22nd campaign and that the Steelers would welcome him back. Mike Tomlin resigned after the team’s exit in the wild-card round, but the decision to replace him with Mike McCarthy means Rodgers will have a familiar coach in place once his second Pittsburgh pact is finalized. McCarthy and Rodgers overlapped during their Super Bowl-winning time together in Green Bay.
The UFA tender decision did not appear to lead to a change regarding Rodgers’ stance, and the latest reporting on this situation indicated finances were not a major sticking point. It will be interesting to see if upcoming contract talks go smoothly and result in a pact being finalized in short order. Rodgers collected $10MM guaranteed on his 2025 deal, one which paid out roughly $14MM in total.
The four-time MVP started 16 games during the regular season along with Pittsburgh’s wild-card contest in 2025. Rodgers offered a higher floor than the Steelers’ other post-Ben Roethlisberger quarterbacks, something which will be expected to remain the case next year. His age leaves the matter of a long-term plan at QB unclear, however, and after selecting Will Howard in the sixth round last spring Pittsburgh added Drew Allar in the third round of this year’s draft.
Those two will be seen as developmental options, while veteran Mason Rudolph is also in the fold at this time. A fourth signal-caller could very well be in place very soon, as a Rodgers agreement would set him up to handle first-team reps for spring practices. The Steelers’ OTAs begin on May 18, and an answer to the question of whether or not Rodgers will be under contract by that point should soon emerge.
QB Jacoby Brissett Likely Trade Candidate With Carson Beck In Arizona?
After going 1-11 in 12 starts for the Cardinals in 2025, quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been staying away from team activities as he attempts to land a starter-level extension. According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, though, Brissett will more likely end up being a trade candidate.
With Brissett in line for his second Cardinals season and a backup passer with starting experience in Gardner Minshew, many thought Arizona would spend the first year of new head coach Mike LaFleur tanking its way to as high a draft pick as possible in 2027 in an attempt to land the best of a better crop of quarterbacks than what was available this year. It was presumed that the Cardinals would utilize this year’s draft to bring in a number of strong supporting pieces to prop up their future rookie starter.
Instead, the team took an interestingly different route. When the Cards reportedly were unable to find an offer they deemed worthy of trading out of the No. 3 overall pick for, they opted to select RB1 Jeremiyah Love. They did get around to landing a plug-and-play starting guard at the top of the second round in Chase Bisontis, but with the first pick of the third round, the Cardinals shocked a number of analysts by drafting Miami quarterback Carson Beck, the third passer to come off the board in the 2026 draft class.
Though he heard his name called two rounds after first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who beat him head-to-head in the College Football Playoff national championship game four months ago, Beck’s six years in college had some evaluators believing he was the most pro-ready passer in the class. Once Beck was wearing a red hat, an NFL general manager reportedly told La Canfora that Arizona would “move Brissett by the (trade) deadline.”
Even if Brissett isn’t traded away immediately, the theory seems clear. If this GM is correct, at some point, Beck would take over as the starter. As a third-round, pro-ready prospect with the top rookie running back and an improved offensive line, there’s a chance Beck could find success and show potential as the team’s future at the position. If such a hypothetical ends up being too far out of reach to become reality and Beck’s starting run leads them to a poor record and a high draft pick, then the Cardinals would be perfectly in line to draft a first-round quarterback in 2027.
Fueling that idea a bit further, recent whispers that veteran free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers may be considering Arizona as a future home appear to be nothing more than rumors. ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reached out to a source recently to gauge the reality of this possibility, and his source claimed it was “not at all” real. If Rodgers stays away and Brissett gets shipped out, Beck may end up starting as a rookie as the Cardinals make moves to find their QB for the future.
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, that team 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 10-7 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.
No “Change Of Heart” Between Steelers, Aaron Rodgers
The Steelers raised some eyebrows when they placed the rarely used unrestricted free-agent tender on Aaron Rodgers the other day. It was the timing of the move that was most noteworthy, as the Steelers had just completed a draft where they used a third-round pick on Penn State quarterback Drew Allar.
[RELATED: Steelers Place UFA Tender On Aaron Rodgers]
However, the move doesn’t signal that Rodgers’ decision will unfold one way or the other. Sources told Mark Kaboly that it’s still “status quo” on the Rodgers/Steelers front, and the team’s decision to slap the QB with the UFA tender doesn’t indicate “a change of heart by either side.” Steelers president Art Rooney II conveyed a similar sentiment while speaking with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero this week, attributing the move to the potential compensation Pittsburgh would get should Rodgers suddenly sign elsewhere.
“We alerted Aaron and his representative that we were going to do it, and so not a real big deal,” Rooney said. “Just something that in the unlikely event he goes somewhere else, we are eligible for a comp pick.”
While Rooney cites the potential compensation, the decision effectively means Rodgers will either play for the Steelers in 2026 or retire. The team will be able to match any offer sheets signed before July 22, and they’ll then have exclusive negotiating rights after that date. If Rodgers ultimately commits to the tender, then he’ll lock himself in to just over $15MM in earnings for 2026.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com views the situation a bit differently, noting that the UFA tender decision is “reason enough for Rodgers to be upset with the situation” and “reinforces the possibility that the Steelers are trying to get Rodgers to be the one to choose not to continue the relationship.” While the two worked together to join forces last offseason, Florio notes that the Steelers have essentially taken away Rodgers’ ability to “retain full freedom” on his future this time around. This could prove to be much ado about nothing, but it is notable that the Steelers were quick to utilize the little leverage they had in this situation.
As for the timeline for a potential resolution, Rooney expressed optimism that a deal would be completed in the next few weeks. At the same time, the executive acknowledged that he expected this saga to have already been completed.
“We’ve been in contact with Aaron on a regular basis,” Rooney said (via Pelissero). “He’s been keeping us up to date on his plans. Even though I thought it probably would have been concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks.”
Steelers Place UFA Tender On Aaron Rodgers
It is still not expected Aaron Rodgers will join a team other than the Steelers this offseason. If he does, however, Pittsburgh will be in line for draft compensation.
Rodgers has received the UFA tender from the Steelers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Such a move is rare in the NFL, although there were two examples from the 2025 offseason. The Browns applied the UFA tender to Elijah Moore while the Chargers did the same with J.K. Dobbins.
Both players wound up signing with other teams, but they were factored into Cleveland and Los Angeles’ compensatory pick formulas along the way. The same will be true of Rodgers and the Steelers. With an outside deal not likely in his case, however, today’s news essentially serves as a guarantee Rodgers will either play for Pittsburgh in 2026 or retire. The team will have exclusive negotiating rights with the future Hall of Famer if he remains unsigned beyond July 22 while also being able to match any offer sheets which are signed prior to that date.
For the second year in a row, the Steelers have gone deep into the spring without certainty atop their QB depth chart. Rodgers’ one-year deal in 2025 seemed at first to set him up for retirement. Instead, the four-time MVP has left the door open to a 22nd NFL season, with Pittsburgh once again willing to accommodate him. Owner Art Rooney II aimed to have a firm commitment from Rodgers by mid-February, but that soft deadline passed. Shortly before the draft, it was learned clarity on this front would not emerge.
Pittsburgh went through this weekend’s event without Rodgers officially being in the fold. With veteran Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard already in the mix, the team selected Penn State’s Drew Allar in the third round. None of those passers will be seen as a threat to Rodgers if/when he arrives, but today’s procedural move further underscores the uncertainty surrounding this unique situation. Rodgers’ next campaign will begin at the age of 42, and a new Steelers accord would see him reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy.
The UFA tender is valued at 110% of a player’s 2025 salary. In Rodgers’ case, that means he will collect just over $15MM next season in the event he suits up for the Steelers. The team’s OTAs are set to begin on May 18, with mandatory minicamp taking place June 2-4. The matter of whether or not Rodgers will be under contract by that point remains a storyline to follow.
Mike Tomlin Addresses Steelers Resignation Decision
Mike Tomlin‘s Steelers tenure came to an end this winter when he resigned. The Super Bowl winner will spend the 2026 season trying his hand at broadcasting.
Tomlin informed the team of his decision shortly after Pittsburgh’s wild-card loss. He declined to offer public remarks on the matter until Sunday night, when it was officially announced Tomlin will work as an analyst for NBC next season. The new gig will see him travel to the location of each week’s Sunday Night Football broadcast instead of remaining in studio.
“It’s probably not an overnight decision,” Tomlin said during an interview with new colleague Maria Taylor (h/t ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “But it’s probably not something that I could articulate or share with people. There’s a loneliness with leadership. I just thought it was a good time for me, personally. And by that, I mean just where I am in life. And I thought it was a good time for the organization, to be quite honest with you. We didn’t have a lot of success in the playoffs in recent years.”
The Steelers’ most recent postseason victory came in 2016. Finding a viable Ben Roethlisberger successor has proven to be challenging over the years, while a veteran-laden defense has fallen short of expectations on more than one occasion in the playoffs. Tomlin added some of Pittsburgh’s most experienced players are “worthy of the excitement and the optimism associated with new leadership.”
Mike McCarthy is now in place as the Steelers’ head coach. The former Packers Super Bowl winner spent five years with the Cowboys before he was out of coaching in 2025. A deal with his hometown team will see the 62-year-old return to the sidelines as Pittsburgh hopes to make a playoff run. The team’s quarterback situation is once again unclear deep into the offseason, with Aaron Rodgers yet to re-sign. Playing for Tomlin was part of the appeal for the four-time MVP, who spent much of his career previously working with McCarthy in Green Bay.
“I just think, Aaron, I just think being around him for the 12 months that I’m around him, he’s got a love affair with the game of football and not only the game, but the process, the informal moments, the development of younger guys, the interaction with teammates,” Tomlin added when asked about Rodgers. “And certainly he is still capable and in really good shape. And so I think at the end of the day, he’ll play football.”
Tomlin, just 54 despite having a 19-year run as a head coach to his name, had long been mentioned as a candidate to take up broadcasting. It soon became clear in the wake of his resignation decision that 2026 would not be spent on the sidelines in his case. A potential return to coaching on Tomlin’s part will of course be a key talking point leading up to next year’s hiring cycle.
Aaron Rodgers Unlikely To Inform Steelers Of Plans Prior To Draft
The week of the 2026 draft has arrived, and the Steelers are once again unsure of whether or not their presumed starting quarterback will be in the fold by the start of the season. The future of Aaron Rodgers remains uncertain at this time, and clarity does not appear to be imminent.
Rodgers has been in communication with head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan during recent weeks, but NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report a formal assurance of suiting up for 2026 has yet to be provided. Pittsburgh is not expected to know Rodgers’ intentions for certain until after the upcoming draft. Owner Art Rooney II previously tapped the draft as a checkpoint for finding out more on this front, but it appears that will not be the case.
The Steelers had hoped to receive clarity with respect to Rodgers in mid-February, which would have been an earlier timeline than in 2025. Instead, another wait lasting deep into the offseason has taken place and it is set to continue. Pelissero points to the start of OTAs as a logical time for Rodgers to make his return to the organization and participate in on-field work. For now, the Steelers are set to begin spring practices without the four-time MVP in the fold.
That will leave Will Howard to take first-team reps this week. The 2025 sixth-rounder has drawn praise from McCarthy and others, although a second Rodgers campaign would leave him short on opportunities to develop in advance of the 2027 offseason when Pittsburgh will need to decide on whether or not a starting-caliber QB addition is necessary. Veteran Mason Rudolph is also in the fold.
Rodgers came into the 2025 season thinking it would be his last. Even with Mike Tomlin stepping aside, the door has remained open to a reunion between Rodgers and McCarthy. The two enjoyed a successful tenure in Green Bay, and McCarthy has welcomed the possibility of spending another year together with the Steelers.
Rodgers is 42, and while the future Hall of Famer offered stability under center in 2025 he would not be expected to operate at level matching his peak years in the event of a Pittsburgh return. It remains a distinct possibility that one will take place, but the team is positioned to once again enter the draft without being sure of Rodgers’ future.