Details Leak About Aaron Rodgers' Potential New Contract With The Steelers: "Hard To Imagine"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been playing the waiting game with quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the second consecutive offseason. This has gotten the fan base extremely frustrated as many believe waiting for the 42-year-old quarterback is beneath the organization. Realistically, he is the best option to be the starting quarterback for the Steelers in 2026, and he gives the franchise the best chance to win some games and potentially make it to the postseason for the fourth season in a row. Many fans would rather see one of the younger quarterbacks on the roster get a chance to start, but it looks like Rodgers will be back.

Rodgers has kept the organization on its toes throughout the 2026 offseason, despite General Manager Omar Khan saying that the process would not take as long as it did in 2025. The saga might be coming to an end soon as it was reported on Thursday morning that the veteran quarterback would be getting on a plane and coming to Pittsburgh this weekend, and the expectation is that he might get a deal done. This was originally reported by Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson of The Fan Morning Show. This report was initially disputed by some, but it was eventually confirmed by some members of the national media.

Ian Rapoport confirmed the reporting from Crowley and Dickerson, and the national insider believes that Rodgers will be donning the black and gold once again in 2026. However, things are never confirmed with Rodgers. Things can change, and no contract is signed yet.

Rodgers played for just about $13 million in 2025, and many have speculated that the reason he has not signed yet is because of the financial side of the deal. He probably wants a significant raise, which is something Rapoport mentioned on Thursday.

"While the Steelers gave Rodgers the UFA tender, that’s considered a placeholder," Rapoport wrote. "Hard to imagine he plays for $15M, which is why a deal must be worked out and finalized. But finality is coming soon, sources say."

Pittsburgh placed the right-of-first-refusal tender on Rodgers recently, which is basically an insurance policy for the organization. Part of the tender includes a 10 percent raise, which would give Rodgers a salary of roughly $15 million for the 2026 season. This would still be near the bottom of the league when it comes to starting quarterback salaries, so Rodgers should want more.

Steelers Have Some Contracts To Use For Comparison

A contract like the one Kirk Cousins signed with the Las Vegas Raiders could be used for comparison, however it is a little bit different. Since Cousins was released by the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta is still paying some of his salary. The numbers should remain the same though. Something in the $20 million range sounds appropriate for Rodgers. Pittsburgh currently has roughly $11 million in cap space, but more room can always be created. The Steelers could get creative with Rodgers by making it a two-year deal to get around the cap, or incentives can be used as well.

It will be interesting to see what this contract looks like, and if it ever truly comes to fruition. Nothing is ever set in stone with Rodgers.

What do you think about this report from Rodgers? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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