Aaron Rodgers Returns to Steelers With a Big Raise

Aaron Rodgers is getting a considerable raise for his second season in Pittsburgh.

Rodgers agreed to a one-year deal with the Steelers worth up to $25 million, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. The contract has a base salary of $22-23 million. Last year, Rodgers made about $15 million. 

Earlier this offseason, the Steelers placed a rare UFA tag on the 42-year-old Rodgers, which would have made them eligible for a compensatory pick if he signed elsewhere. It also would have given Pittsburgh exclusive negotiating rights had the quarterback not signed elsewhere by the start of Steelers training camp or by July 22—whichever came later. 

The decision to return to Pittsburgh reunites Rodgers with Mike McCarthy, who was his coach with the Packers from 2006 to 2018. The pair won Super Bowl XLV together, defeating the Steelers 31-25 to cap the 2010-11 season. 

At the NFL’s annual meeting in March, McCarthy was relaxed about Rodgers’s status and referenced playing the waiting game for Favre back in Green Bay, beginning 20 years ago, when Rodgers was waiting in the wings. 

“It was 2006 when it was my first time doing this. The first question was about a veteran quarterback and whether or not he was going to come back,” McCarthy said. Head coach media availability is a featured part of the yearly function. “So there’s definitely some déjà vu here.”

The coach said that there had been ongoing talks between the two sides. The 2026 season will mark the 22nd of Rodgers’s career.

“It’s going good. It’s been very positive,” McCarthy said. “We’ll just continue to talk. I’m confident, but at the end of the day it’s a personal decision. But I think we’re in a good space.”

Last season, Rodgers threw for 3322 yards with 24 touchdown passes and seven interceptions as the Steelers went 10-7 (10-6 in games started by Rodgers) and won the AFC North. Nevertheless, Pittsburgh was blown out by Houston, 30-6, in the first round of the playoffs.