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Brooke Pryor
Multiple Authors
PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers isn’t done yet.
After another prolonged decision-making process, the four-time MVP is expected to sign a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth up to $25 million, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Saturday night. The deal is expected to include a base salary between $22 million and $23 million, with up to a few million more in incentives, according to sources.
Rodgers, 42, recently returned to the Pittsburgh area ahead of Monday’s OTAs and was seen getting ice cream with several teammates at a local shop Friday night.
He is expected to report to Monday’s OTAs, sources told Schefter.
Saturday’s decision comes weeks after the Steelers placed a UFA tender on Rodgers in a procedural move that would either give them a compensatory pick if he signed elsewhere before training camp or restrict his ability to sign with another team once camp begins.
Though the Steelers remained confident and in communication with Rodgers throughout the process, the quarterback still made the decision on his timeline despite team owner and president Art Rooney II publicly saying the organization expected a resolution by the start of the NFL draft. Instead, Rodgers traveled to Pittsburgh the weekend of the team’s rookie minicamp and agreed to the deal before the team’s first voluntary OTA session.
The Steelers added to their quarterback room while they waited and drafted Penn State star Drew Allar in the third round in a move new head coach Mike McCarthy said was unrelated to Rodgers’ impending decision.
McCarthy, hired to replace Mike Tomlin in January, previously expressed his desire to reunite with Rodgers, whom he coached for 13 seasons in Green Bay.
“I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” McCarthy said at his introductory news conference. “… I was able to sit back and watch the games, watched most of the Pittsburgh games on TV, and I thought he was a great asset for the team.”
Rodgers signed a one-year, $13.65 million deal with the Steelers in June 2025, reaching the decision after several months of contemplation. Soon after, Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” that the 2025 season would likely be his last.
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure this is it,” Rodgers said in June. “That’s why we just did a one-year deal. Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on that or anything, so this was really about finishing with a lot of love and fun and peace for the career that I’ve had.
“I played 20 fricking years. It’s been a long run. I’ve enjoyed it, and no better place to finish than in one of the cornerstone franchises of the NFL with Mike Tomlin and a great group of leadership and great guys in the city that expects you to win.”
But the quarterback, who turns 43 in December, expressed throughout the 2025 season that his body felt good and that he felt like “Benjamin Button” at times.
“I hope I can get through this stretch and feel good physically so that’s not in the conversation,” Rodgers said in December, emphasizing that he wanted to decide about his future based on desire and not physical ability.
Rodgers’ game looked different in 2025 than in previous seasons as the Steelers’ offense emphasized quick passes and getting the ball to the playmakers. Rodgers’ receivers averaged 6.5 yards after catch per completion, the highest mark of the quarterback’s career.
Though Rodgers’ first season in Pittsburgh was inconsistent and ended with the worst playoff performance of his career in a wild-card loss to the Houston Texans, he also authored several remarkable wins — especially late in the season. In the Week 18 win against the Baltimore Ravens that clinched the AFC North title, Rodgers completed 66% of his attempts and threw for a season-high 294 yards. Two weeks earlier, he completed 65.9% of his attempts for 266 yards and a touchdown in a must-win game against the Detroit Lions.
He finished the season completing 65.7% of his attempts, his best mark since 2021, and threw for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
In his final outing, Rodgers was sacked four times and completed just 51.5% of his attempts as the Steelers’ offense struggled mightily against the Texans. His last pass attempt of the game was intercepted by Calen Bullock and returned for a 50-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
“I’m not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said about his future after the game. “I’m disappointed. Obviously, it was such a fun year. A lot of adversity but a lot of fun. Been a great year, overall in my life, the last year, and this is a really good part of that, coming here and being part of this team, so it’s disappointing to be sitting here with the season over.”
