Aaron Rodgers signed a bigger free agent contract than most were expecting to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2026 NFL season.
The deal is worth up to $25 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, with a base salary between $22-23 million.
That's potentially $10 million more than most would've projected for Rodgers.
In the end, Rodgers was always going to sign with Pittsburgh, if he didn't retire. The Steelers just had to wait him out.
Still, they ended up having to pay up to keep him around and start in 2026, and the price is quite notable.
It's also intriguing because it's very similar to what Malik Willis is getting paid by the Miami Dolphins for 2026:
The Steelers are paying as much for Rodgers in 2026 as the Dolphins ended up signing Malik Willis for https://t.co/cqUiP30JIQ
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) May 17, 2026
Now to point out the additional details here, Willis signed a multi-year deal. The Steelers' commitment to Rodgers is only one year.
That does mean, though, that the Steelers will have to solve the QB position again for the 2027 season.
If Willis turns out to be a legitimate starter, the Dolphins are set for multiple seasons.
This is mostly just to point out that the Steelers did have other options, including Willis and maybe Kyler Murray, but chose to wait for Rodgers and run it back with the 42-year old QB. That certainly has a chance to backfire.
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