It’s April, which means that the NFL draft is on the horizon. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers still don’t have an answer from Aaron Rodgers on his future. Art Rooney II said he expects to hear something definitive from the veteran quarterback by the draft, but it’s tough to predict what Rodgers will do. There’s been some speculation that money is the hold up with Charlie Batch thinking that Rodgers wants a one-year, $30 million deal. Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby doesn’t think that’s an outrageous idea.
“Is Aaron Rodgers worth $30 million in today’s quarterback climate?” Crosby asked recently on his The Rush podcast. “Absolutely. Does a team want to pay a 42-year-old quarterback $30 million a year? Probably not, even if it’s Aaron Rodgers. I think he definitely is worth that. It’s Aaron Rodgers, and he played good ball last year. He won 10 games, got them into the playoffs.
“People are gonna be like, ‘Well, you’ve been playing forever, just take the light deal.’ But it’s like, why would he? Like, ‘All the other quarterbacks are getting paid, but no, you have to take less.’ Be like, ‘I’m better than 90 percent of these guys anyway. It doesn’t matter what age I am, it’s what I do on the field.'”
Rodgers made around $14 million last year, and while quarterback contracts have ballooned in recent years, that still feels like a fair deal based on how he played. He finished the season with 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Some younger quarterbacks such as Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love had similar numbers, which gives some credence to Crosby’s argument. However, there isn’t a lot of talk about how well either of them played compared to their contracts. That’s because expectations were different for them compared to Rodgers.
Rodgers had a disappointing 2024 season. He returned from a torn Achilles, but he and the New York Jets still struggled. He even seriously considered retiring, and he definitely didn’t look like he deserved top quarterback money.
Had the Steelers paid him $30 million last year, then perhaps the discussion around Rodgers now would be different. Paying him $30 million in 2026 raises expectations. That would put him in a similar range as Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. One of those players won a Super Bowl last year, while the other made the Pro Bowl in 2023 and 2024 before suffering a down 2025 season.
Could Rodgers argue that the Steelers should give him a significant raise? Maybe, but it doesn’t seem like that’s an issue. He wasn’t worried about money last offseason. Also, ESPN insider Adam Schefter said that money isn’t a factor for why Rodgers has yet to make a decision about his future. Perhaps that report will ultimately prove to be wrong, but it feels like Rodgers will be playing for a similar amount if he returns this year.
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