Steelers Exercise Rare Option On Aaron Rodgers That Protects The Franchise

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going through the same saga that they did during the 2025 offseason when it comes to the quarterback position. Mason Rudolph is on the roster, a quarterback was drafted, and the franchise is waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers on what he wants to do with his future. It is nearly the same exact offseason when it comes to the position and Rodgers specifically, but the organization has changed things up a little bit. On Tuesday morning, the Steelers pulled off a move that essentially locks Rodgers into playing for the Steelers, if he decides not to retire.

There are so many tenders and options that clubs can place on players. This is usually seen with undrafted free agents who outperform their status, but it was reported that the Steelers were placing the right-of-first-refusal tender on Rodgers, which was initially reported by Adam Schefter.

"Sources: the Steelers placed the rare right-of-first-refusal tender on Aaron Rodgers," Schefter wrote. "Meaning that he can accept a 10 percent raise off last year’s salary, which would pay him about $15 million this season, and the Steelers also now will have the right to match any offer sheet he would sign with another team. As another condition of the tender, Rodgers would only be able to sign with the Steelers once training camp begins."

This basically means that Rodgers is locked in with the Steelers if he wants to continue playing, unless some other franchise offers him a crazy deal that the franchise does not want to match. The only wrinkle in this is that Rodgers can only sign with the Steelers once training camp begins. Meaning the Steelers would be his only option at that juncture, and no other teams in the league could negotiate with him at that point.

This tender is rare and it is not seen often, but essentially it protects the Steelers throughout this whole fiasco. Pittsburgh can match any contract the veteran quarterback might receive, and the Steelers would also be in line to receive a compensatory draft pick if he were to join another franchise. Not to mention if Rodgers continues to take his time, at a certain point he would only be able to sign with the Steelers. This would limit the quarterback's options, which could anger Rodgers.

This is probably a move that the organization spoke with the four-time MVP about before doing. It is hard to imagine that Rodgers would be blindsided by this. Based on how he has reacted to things in the past, it would have been the smart thing to run it by him. The franchise and the quarterback have a good relationship, so surely that is how everything played out.

Steelers Used Rare Maneuver To Potentially Retain Aaron Rodgers

The right-of-first-refusal tender is not something that is used often, at least not by the Steelers. It basically turns any player into a restricted free agent. The Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns have also used this move on players in 2026, and it is something that is seen every offseason. However, this is the first time in recent memory that the Steelers have used this tender on a player. 

Rodgers is obviously important, and he is currently the organization's best option when it comes to a starting quarterback for the 2026 season. It is crucial that he ends up wearing black and gold if he decides to continue his playing career. At the end of the day, this is nothing to read too deep on, but it is an interesting twist in the Rodgers saga.

What do you think about the Steelers pulling this move? What led to this? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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