Finally, the wait is over. Aaron Rodgers is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second season, ending another long, frustrating saga.
Rodgers reportedly agreed to a contract Saturday night, just a few days before the start of voluntary Organized Team Activities, giving the Steelers their starting quarterback under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
He didn’t get $30-plus million for one season of work like one former Steelers player predicted multiple times, but Rodgers did reportedly get a raise from 2025, landing a one-year, $22 million guaranteed deal that is worth as much as $25 million with incentives.
That’s a nice raise after the 42-year-old quarterback led the Steelers to an AFC North title and a playoff appearance last season as a key captain.
But what the Steelers are paying Rodgers has former NFL defensive end and current ESPN Radio analyst Chris Canty shaking his head.
“When you look at what they paid to bring Aaron Rodgers back, it’s absolutely ridiculous. Twenty-two million for a quarterback that had the shortest average distance of completions in the NFL,” Canty said Monday while co-hosting Unsportsmanlike, according to audio via ESPN Radio. “The average distance of completions for Aaron Rodgers last season was 3.7 yards.
“All he does is long handoffs. That’s all he does.”
Last season Rodgers got rid of the ball quickly in Arthur Smith’s offense, averaging 2.58 seconds Time To Throw, according to Pro Football Focus. That was the fastest time of his career dating back to his second season in 2007, when he attempted just 28 passes.
The Steelers’ lack of a downfield passing attack last season was a real struggle. Pittsburgh didn’t have anyone who could consistently make plays downfield to take the top off defenses. Nor did the Steelers have a quarterback willing to take those shots.
Will that change with Mike McCarthy now running the offense? That remains to be seen. Rodgers has plenty of familiarity with McCarthy’s scheme, and the 62-year-old head coach knows how to design a passing attack and exploit defenses.
The hope is that with McCarthy and Rodgers reunited, the Steelers’ offense can take off, considering all the weapons they have. But the concerns about his play style at this point in his career are valid.
“Aaron Rodgers is still able to compete because of what he knows, but the book is out. Team’s got projectors, they watching film, they know Aaron Rodgers ain’t willing to hold onto to the ball. He doesn’t wanna get hit,” Canty added. “There ain’t a 42-year-old out there that wants to get hit by a 330-pound NFL lineman. I get it. But if you’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, you gotta know what you’re signing up for.
“And to me, to wait around all offseason long past the draft for this guy to bestow his presence on you for the production that he gave you last year is wild.”
It’s not as if the Steelers had any better options at this point.
Sure, they could have chased Malik Willis in free agency or taken a swing on Kirk Cousins before he signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. Maybe they could have gone after a quarterback like Kyler Murray in free agency, too, or tried to swing a trade for Mac Jones.
They didn’t though, and the plan all along was to give Rodgers time and space to make a decision, all while feeling confident in Will Howard internally and having sights on a quarterback in the 2026 draft. Now, the QB room is set. The Steelers know what they have after a long, frustrating process.
The play on the field just has to be better in 2026 though.
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