New Aaron Rodgers Rumors on Contract and Teammates' Reaction to QB's Return to Steelers

As much as he enjoyed his first season in the Steel City, Aaron Rodgers wasn't taking a discount to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter there's mutual excitement between Rodgers and the Steelers now that the broad details of his deal are in place:

"Even though Rodgers, I'm told, isn't motivated by money at this stage, he played below market last year at around $14 million. That did need to change, so they upped his coin a little bit. And the urgency of OTAs was a factor too because they're going to hit the field on Monday. The expectation is Aaron Rodgers will sign that deal over the next 24 to 36 hours, get on the field with his teammates, who still believe that Aaron Rodgers can get it done. That's part of this. The team is backing Rodgers. They like how he played last year. Rodgers feels like he's got something left. He loves Pittsburgh, loves his teammates, so the good vibes will continue."

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Saturday that Rodgers plans to sign a one-year contract worth between $22 million and $23 million. His total earnings can hit $25 million depending on whether he hits all of his incentives.

It was pretty much Steelers or bust for Rodgers if he wanted to suit up for a 22nd season. He didn't have another team he could use to drive up his price with Pittsburgh.

However, the Steelers painted themselves into a similar corner by focusing all of their efforts on the legendary signal-caller. When the alternative was starting Mason Rudolph, Will Howard or Drew Allar, the franchise made it implicitly clear how badly it needed Rodgers.

As a result, both sides compromised. The 42-year-old is getting a raise on his 2025 earnings but a salary figure that's squarely in the middle of the pack among quarterbacks. Malik Willis ranks 17th at the position after securing a $22.5 million annual payout from the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

It's fair to wonder whether the plan was flawed from the start.

Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 16 appearances with the Steelers, and his performance in a Wild Card Round loss to the Houston Texans was rough to say the least.

▶️ Full Texans-Steelers Recap

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The surefire Hall of Famer hasn't fallen off a cliff in terms of his production, but the prolonged decline is impossible to ignore.

Rodgers being the best option for Pittsburgh at this stage doesn't mean he's a good option. The team could once again be treading water by making the playoffs and coming up short when it matters the most. Sooner or later, the cycle has to end.

Maybe a coaching change is all that was needed for Rodgers to roll back the years and return to a level where the Steelers can be a serious contender. That's clearly what they're banking on.