Steelers Have 25 Million Reasons This Needs to Work Out

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers knew they were going to pay more for Aaron Rodgers this season. If the 42-year-old quarterback was going to return in 2026, he wasn’t going to get paid $12 million, and wasn’t going to get paid $15 million, either.

They informed him before agreeing to a deal that his contract would be higher than the UFA tender they placed on him, meaning the baseline for a deal started at $16 million. $20 million was the expected range. It hit $22 million with incentives that could get him to $25 million in what is likely his final season.

That’s a lot of money, even if it’s not a lot of money for a quarterback.

Is Rodgers better than names he’s being paid more than like Kirk Cousins? Probably. But the Steelers aren’t signing him because he’s better than the field, it’s because he’s their best option after backing themselves into a corner.

This team is determined to remain Super Bowl contenders. That’s their motto every year, Art Rooney II doesn’t believe in the word “rebuild” and until they completely fall off, they aren’t allowed to give up.

It’s not a bad mindset to have, but it does force the team’s hand into some questionable decisions, like signing a 42-year-old quarterback when you have two young, developmental pieces behind him that could use some playing time.

With Rodgers back, the expectations increase. This team is now in win a Super Bowl mode and will put everything they have into trying to do so in 2026. Will it work? Only time will tell. But his contract certainly adds more pressure.

Truthfully, a lot of fans didn’t want Rodgers to return. Constantly, you’d hear people talking about how they’d prefer the Steelers to move in a different direction and test out Howard this year. Obviously, winning changes that, and once the Steelers start to do so, no one will remember wanting Rodgers to retire.

Those fans will remember they’re desire for him to leave if the Steelers don’t succeed, though. If Rodgers struggles or this team doesn’t look like a real Super Bowl contender, this fanbase will make it known. And they should.

The Steelers waited months for Rodgers to make a decision and looked foolish the entire time while doing so. The drama this quarterback has added to their last two offseasons has caused everyone to talk about it, and few to sit there trying to defend it. With a $25 million contract, it means Pittsburgh gave in, and maybe overpaid, while ignoring the two options a significant number of fans wanted - Will Howard and Drew Allar.

The Pittsburgh Steelers need to be real Super Bowl contenders. They need to put all the pieces together now, otherwise, the criticism is going to be much louder and much stronger than a team that simply signed a quarterback in March and didn’t have it work out.

The Aaron Rodgers spotlight is large. And the Steelers either need to prove they made the right choice or look much worse than they have in years after making the wrong one.

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