Aaron Rodgers Reportedly Was Willing to Play for Less Than $13.7M Steelers Contract

Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers would've taken less than he ultimately received from the Pittsburgh Steelers in order to secure an NFL contract, according to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.

Florio reported that Rodgers' agent, David Dunn, "pushed him to take more," with the four-time MVP getting $13.7 million for one year.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided some more context Monday on The Pat McAfee Show:

This time last year, the Steelers were getting plenty of praise for the bargain that was Russell Wilson's deal. Wilson took the veteran's minimum from Pittsburgh because the Denver Broncos were subsidizing such a huge chunk of his 2024 earnings.

Sometimes, you get what you pay for.

Wilson threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 starts, and the Steelers were 6-5 with him at the helm. In a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round, he went 20-of-29 for 270 yards and two touchdowns, numbers that obscure the fact that Pittsburgh was down 21 points at halftime.

Pound-for-pound, Wilson represented great value at a time when backup quarterbacks can earn $5 million or more a year. That doesn't change the fact that the 10-time Pro Bowler was a mid-tier QB who didn't elevate his team.

History could be repeating itself for the Steelers, who are counting on a different aging vet to roll back the years.

Rodgers had 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his lone year as the starter for the New York Jets. His 90.5 quarterback rating was his lowest over a full season, and he had his second-worst QBR (48.0), per Pro Football Reference.

There's no question that signing Rodgers is cheaper than it would've cost to land Sam Darnold or Geno Smith. The pitfalls to this budget-conscious approach are obvious after watching Pittsburgh's offense in 2024.