Steelers, Aaron Rodgers Problems May Be Money

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers still don't know if Aaron Rodgers is going to show up or retire. Right now, they remain patient and hopeful that Rodgers decides to return for a second season, and the two sides continue to have positive conversations.

However, there has to be some reason Rodgers has yet to decide on returning to Pittsburgh or retiring at 42-years-old, and former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch believes he knows why.

"This is a guy who outplayed his contract," Batch said on the Snap Count Podcast. "I will stand by this, and there's not many people out there, I may be the only one, saying this at this particular point.

"This decision is coming down to money. The Steelers would like him to come back, yes, but it's not going to be the $13 million number. I'm sure Aaron, at some point, and I have not spoken to him, but I'm sure his representatives are wanting something close to [$30 million]. And you hope that, somewhere, you meet in the middle."

During his first public appearance of the offseason, Rodgers said on the Pat McAfee Show that the Steelers had yet to offer him a contract and that they needed to have conversations "down the line."

Last season, Rodgers completed 65% of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Steelers' Aaron Rodgers Contract Probably Looks Like...

While $30 million is probably too much money for Rodgers in 2026, there is a happy medium both sides should be able to agree on. Rodgers is 42 turning 43-years-old and it's hard to justify paying someone who statisically took a step back in 2025 triple the amount that you paid them a year prior.

But Batch isn't wrong that Rodgers took a discount last season and will need more money to return in 2026. The Steelers also have the cap space available, and without major contracts for T.J. Watt or DK Metcalf to hand out, they can afford to sign their quarterback to a more reasonable deal this offseason.

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

$20 million is probably the range the Steelers and Rodgers will settle on. Rodgers gets one more year and one more decent contract and the Steelers get one more shot with the future Hall of Famer to win a Super Bowl.

No one truly knows when Rodgers will sign, or if he's going to sign. Not even the Steelers. But if he does, expect the contract to be better than last year's, but maybe not as big as Batch believes.

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