Steelers' Strange Decision To Protect Themselves Against Aaron Rodgers Reveals Truth

The Pittsburgh Steelers did something rare on Tuesday morning regarding Aaron Rodgers. Of course, the Rodgers saga has dragged on longer than Steelers GM Omar Khan promised the fan base ahead of the 2026 offseason. It’s no secret what happened with Rodgers before the 2025 season. Eventually, he signed with Pittsburgh and led them to a 10-7 record and an AFC North title. However, the playoff drought didn’t end, and the way that final postseason game unfolded left a lingering feeling among fans that maybe it’s time to focus on developing a younger quarterback.

However, the Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as their head coach, and now rumors are running rampant. Will Rodgers return in 2026 to play under McCarthy, retire, or land elsewhere? On Tuesday morning, Pittsburgh placed a rare unrestricted free agent (UFA) tender on Rodgers, a move that confused much of Steeler Nation and the broader football world.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero went on The Rich Eisen Show Tuesday to break down exactly what the Steelers did with Rodgers, and what it means moving forward. He also explained the communication leading up to the decision between Khan, McCarthy, and the Steelers’ front office.

"It’s not like Aaron Rodgers read this on the internet when he woke up in whatever country he’s in right now," Pelissero said while speaking to Eisen about Rodgers and the Steelers’ rare decision. "This was very much something that was communicated to him. They sent it over to him. From what I know, I don’t anticipate this being any type of issue. We’ll see, hopefully sooner rather than later, for all of our sanity, Rich, exactly what Aaron Rodgers decides."

That answers one of the first questions about this rarely used contract detail regarding Rodgers. He was communicated with about it and is not shocked to find out that is the plan. 

It suggests there was no surprise on his end when the decision was made public. As for how it impacts the Steelers and what it truly means, Pelissero added more context.

"It’s not used very often, but it is something that teams apply, let’s say, once or twice a year," Pelissero said. "Last year, it was J.K. Dobbins and Elijah Moore. They both got the UFA tender and both of them signed with other teams. So there is nothing about the UFA tender that precludes you from going elsewhere through July 22nd. With respect to the tweet you read, it’s not quite accurate. There’s no right of match involved in this. What the UFA tender does is it is a one-year tender for 110% of what you made last year. For Aaron Rodgers, it would be about a $15.5 million tender offer for 2026, but really what this is, is a placeholder that protects the Steelers’ rights in the event Aaron Rodgers doesn’t sign with Pittsburgh, an injury happens elsewhere, and he signs elsewhere."

The window for calculating compensatory picks closed on Monday for all unrestricted free agents, aside from players who receive the UFA tender. Essentially, this allows the Steelers to potentially receive fourth or fifth round compensatory pick value if Rodgers signs elsewhere.

Steelers' QB Room Continues To Draw Interest

Naturally, the Rodgers situation is stealing headlines and annoying football fans once again. However, the Steelers used their 76th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. 

He now pairs with their sixth-round pick from the 2025 draft, Will Howard. It will be interesting to watch how their future develops with or without Rodgers.

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