All offseason, Charlie Batch has believed QB Aaron Rodgers wants and will get a steep pay raise compared to the relative peanuts he played for in 2025. Though he has often floated the idea of Rodgers wanting $30 million, Batch’s final prediction falls under that mark. But not by much.
“I think he probably hit somewhere between $25 and $28 million if they can get the deal done,” Batch said on 93.7 The Fan Thursday afternoon. “I think that’s what happens.”
Batch assessed Rodgers’ true market value at the NFL’s most premium position. He cited Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield’s $33.3 million average yearly value and the $22.5 million deal Miami’s Malik Willis signed this offseason as benchmarks, with Rodgers falling in between. A contract between those two points would make Rodgers the 17th-highest-paid quarterback in the league. In 2025, he finished 19th.
Batch didn’t make clear if that was his base salary or an “up-to” amount, assuming his deal includes incentives like his 2025 contract.
If the numbers aren’t good enough, Batch thinks Rodgers could walk.
“The unfortunate part for the Steelers, if they don’t get the deal done, there’s nothing saying that Aaron walks outta that doors and says, you know what fellas, good luck to you this season,” he said. “I’m moving on.”
That’s technically true. Rodgers can walk away. Pittsburgh’s unrestricted tender gives them some leverage and exclusive negotiation rights with him by July 22nd. But if Rodgers is deciding between the Steelers and retirement, the tender poses little threat.
Most reports indicate that a contract is a mere formality and won’t be an obstacle to getting a deal done. Batch has used the tender as a smoking gun that money was the issue. But the tender isn’t used as a tool in contract talks. Teams that apply the tag are protecting themselves from the player signing elsewhere by potentially recouping a compensatory pick. It’s a loophole in the rules to expand the scope of the comp formula period.
Still, the details of his deal will be worth reviewing. Not just from a salary cap perspective, but to determine if Batch’s confidence was proven correct. He’s already gone on record believing the door was “shut” on Rodgers if Pittsburgh drafted a quarterback hours before the team took Penn State’s Drew Allar. He no longer seems to stand by that comment.
But if Rodgers signs for a high price tag approaching $30 million, his belief regarding the money will be vindicated.
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