The Pittsburgh Steelers finally got their guy. After months of speculation and strange conjecture about where Aaron Rodgers would or wouldn't play, he's finally put pen to paper for the black and gold.
While his skills and mobility may have diminished a bit, the $13.65 million the Steelers are paying him for 2025 still seems like a bargain. Even if he somehow reaches the contract's full potential of $19.5 million seems like a deal for the team. And PFT's Mike Florio agrees.
"It’s still not known how Rodgers can pump up his pay from $13.65 million to $19.5 million. There’s talk that one factor to unlock the maximum package is winning the Super Bowl," Florio wrote. "The full amount, if he earns it, will still be less than what Justin Fields will make this year ($20 million). Which, for a player of Rodgers’s capabilities, gives the Steelers a huge advantage.
"It also saves millions in cash and cap dollars for other players. Whether it means they’ll use the money to pay linebacker T.J. Watt or sign an available skill-position player (like running back J.K. Dobbins) or trade for a receiver (like Allen Lazard) or be ready to make a deal prior to the Week 9 deadline remains to be seen."
The key here is that they're getting a top-tier quarterback (we think) for second- or third-tier money. And that's a lot less than what they could've spent elsewhere.
And it gives the Steelers room to add some pieces around Rodgers if it chooses to do so - and it should.