Aaron Rodgers to Earn $15 Million If He Returns After Steelers Place Rare UFA Tag

The Pittsburgh Steelers simply do not have a chance this season if veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers does not return to take the reins of their offense.

The 42-year-old has taken time off to get back into his personal life, and then take a call on whether or not he wants to continue throwing a football to his receivers.

As the oldest player in the league, he knows that the hits will continue to place him at risk of further injury. At the same time, that should not be the reason for him to chicken out.

There is no doubt that Aaron Rodgers loves the game of football. But what he is trying to figure out is whether he wants to go through the rigors of a 17-game season, and more in the postseason.

The Steelers placed the rare UFA tender on Aaron Rodgers, meaning that he can accept a 10 percent raise off last year’s salary, which would pay him about $15 million this season. As another condition of the tender, Rodgers would only be able to sign with the Steelers once training camp begins.

Adam Schefter revealed on X

This means that if the four-time league MVP decides to return, he will only be eligible to get a raise enough to earn him $15 million this season. That is much lower than what he was rumored to be demanding.

Sources: the Steelers placed the rare UFA tender on Aaron Rodgers, meaning that he can accept a 10 percent raise off last year’s salary, which would pay him about $15 million this season.

As another condition of the tender, Rodgers would only be able to sign with the Steelers… pic.twitter.com/G5NABNOTgF

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 28, 2026

On top of that, Aaron Rodgers can only return to the Steelers by the start of training camp. If he chooses to sign elsewhere, the franchise will be in line for a compensatory draft pick.

Steelers are forcing Aaron Rodgers to decide fast

After earning nearly $400 million in the 22 seasons he has been in the NFL, Aaron Rodgers might not be cringing about the paltry 10% raise he will get over his salary.

Instead, it might be the Pittsburgh Steelers forcing him to make a quick decision that might irk the superstar signal-caller. The Chino, California, native has always tried to do things his way.

That became a matter of frustration for the New York Jets, which is one of the reasons why they did not elect to give him a chance to continue with them.

However, at the Steelers, Rodgers has displayed a calmer side, something that only comes about when he is comfortable, both with his teammates and the top brass.

But now, as per Adam Schefter, they would require the mercurial quarterback to decide before training camp starts. If he delays his decision further, he will not be able to play football this season.

That could become a sore point as relations between them have been good so far. At the same time, this could be a collective decision aimed at giving Aaron Rodgers a deadline to abide by.

Steelers are preparing for life after Aaron Rodgers

In the event that Aaron Rodgers decides he is done playing football, the Pittsburgh Steelers could struggle with underwhelming quarterback play.

However, head coach Mike McCarthy has already been singing Will Howard‘s praise, and now he gets another prospect he can mould into how he views a QB should be.

After missing out on Makai Lemon in the first round, the Steelers surprised everyone by selecting Drew Allar in the third round. The Penn State alum is raw and needs a lot of time to develop.

But he has the measurables that interest McCarthy, and that alone is enough for the quarterback whisperer to make something out of him.

It is clear, by now, that the Steelers have sensibly selected players they felt were necessary in the event their superstar quarterback decides to hang up his cleats.

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