Aaron Rodgers has not re-signed with the Steelers, and he’s given little indication that he will any time soon. Is the price tag part of the problem? And what is the price point for both parties that is necessary to resolve such an impasse? Given Rodgers’ lackadaisical attitude toward employment, many have begun to speculate about compensation as a variable.
The Steelers didn’t have to pay much at all for Aaron Rodgers last year, relatively speaking, as a starting quarterback. Some believe he could be expecting to earn two to three times as much as last season, however. Is that too rich for their blood, or will they be willing to pay that? It’s still within the market value, but Ray Fittipaldo questions whether the Steelers like Rodgers that much.
“I don’t know if the Steelers would go to $30 million, to be honest with you”, Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan. “They understand that they have to get their future franchise quarterback at some point anyway. Whether you start the clock on that in April of 2026 or in January of 2027, I think they’ve come to the realization that it’s not gonna be perfect whenever it does happen”.
The Steelers went 10-7 last season, including 10-6 with Aaron Rodgers starting. They won the AFC North for the first time since 2020. They beat a hasty postseason exit, however, in the Wild Card Round, with Rodgers contributing to two Texans defensive touchdowns late in the game.
Rodgers went 327-for-498 for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns to 7 interceptions last season. He posted two fourth-quarter comebacks and three game-winning drives but alternately looked vintage Rodgers and ready for retirement. Unfortunately, they saw the latter in the playoffs, when it mattered most.
“If Aaron wants to come back, great, they can get on with that as planned in 2027”, Fittipaldo said of the Steelers’ quarterback plans. “But if [he doesn’t], you just sort of have to rip off the Band-Aid, and Will Howard would compete with Mason Rudolph and probably another veteran, and their intent would be to get Will Howard ready at some point in 2026 where they could judge him in games”.
While Charlie Batch thinks Aaron Rodgers is worth that money, do the Steelers agree? Would they have pursued him last year if he were demanding that kind of money? And how much has he improved his market value, realistically, just based on last year’s play?
The thing is, if the Steelers don’t have Aaron Rodgers, they don’t have much else at quarterback. At least not much else that has proven anything up to this point. Mason Rudolph has proven that he is not a franchise quarterback. Will Howard has not, but he hasn’t had a chance to succeed yet, let alone to fail. Rodgers is obviously not the future, but at what price will the Steelers take him for the present?
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