A report from earlier on Tuesday advised that “there stays a way throughout the” Pittsburgh Steelers that quarterback Aaron Rodgers will play for the membership by the 2026 season and can affirm that call “within the coming weeks.”
Afterward Tuesday, it was discovered that the Steelers have protected themselves relating to Rodgers’ short-term future.
Steelers place rarely-used tender on Aaron Rodgers
ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that the Steelers positioned the unrestricted free agent tender on Rodgers. Per the phrases of that tender, Rodgers will make roughly $15M if he performs for the Steelers this season. Moreover, Rodgers will solely have the ability to signal with the Steelers as soon as training-camp practices get underway.
If the longer term Corridor of Famer indicators with a unique staff, the Steelers would obtain a compensatory draft choose. There’s been no indication because the finish of the 2025 season that every other membership has come all that near signing Rodgers, who has been a free agent because the new league 12 months opened in March.
The Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins are among the many groups that doubtlessly may have been excited by Rodgers earlier this spring. These franchises have since addressed their quarterback wants by way of different transactions.
Why the Steelers used this tender on Aaron Rodgers
“Opposite to the report, it’s NOT a proper of first refusal,” NFL insider Mike Florio of Professional Soccer Speak wrote concerning the newest Rodgers-related improvement. “For now, Rodgers can nonetheless signal with any staff at any time, even when one other staff gives lower than regardless of the Steelers have or will placed on the desk. If Rodgers indicators with one other staff, the transaction counts towards each groups’ compensatory choose formulation. …As of July 22, that’s when issues get difficult. The Steelers at that time would maintain unique negotiating rights to Rodgers. So if he’s fascinated with, for instance, staying house and ready for a starter on a contending staff to undergo an harm, the Steelers would maintain his rights. To get Rodgers at that time, a brand new staff must work out a commerce with the Steelers.”
Phrase concerning the Steelers’ choice went public not lengthy after NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US shared that Pittsburgh had been treading “calmly” amid this case, “given how mercurial Rodgers will be.”
It stays to be seen how the often-unpredictable Rodgers will react to using a young many informal followers have been unfamiliar with as of Tuesday morning.
