The Aaron Rodgers situation continues to be an endless topic of debate. Since his unceremonious exit from the New York Jets, rumors have swirled about where he might land next. At one point, a Brett Favre-style finish with the Minnesota Vikings was floated — until attention shifted to the New York Giants.
Now, with that option looking less likely, the Pittsburgh Steelers have emerged as the frontrunner to land Rodgers. His Jets tenure left more questions than answers, and his future remains uncertain. But according to one NFL analyst, Rodgers could still be headed for a major payday in free agency.
Aaron Rodgers Getting an Enormous Contract?
The connection between Rodgers and the Steelers isn’t new. Mike Tomlin appears to be open to it, and Rodgers has reportedly visited the team’s facility and even worked out privately with newly acquired wide receiver DK Metcalf.
Still, his 2024 season was far from impressive. Rodgers finished 21st in PFSN’s QB+ metric and posted the worst passer rating and fewest passing yards per game of his career in a full season. The Jets managed just five wins.
Still, with 28 touchdown passes and just 11 interceptions some teams might have reason to believe Rodgers still has enough juice to get them over the hump.
Rich Eisen believes Rodgers won’t come cheap for a Pittsburgh team that has yet to add a proven starting quarterback this offseason.
“I think Aaron Rodgers is gonna start with a four. North of $40 million,” Eisen said. “How about this? Two years, $70 million, with incentives that can pop it up more.”
Rich Eisen said on his show he believes Aaron Rodgers will get a contract north of $40 million: “I think Aaron Rodgers is gonna start with a four. North of $40 million. How about this? Two years, $70 million, with incentives that can pop it up more.” #Steelers #NFL
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) March 29, 2025
So far, the quarterback market has been on the cheaper side. Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields all signed deals well below the top of the market.
Speaking of Fields and Wilson, both saw time under center for Pittsburgh last season, helping the Steelers to a 10–3 start before things unraveled. Still, there was enough upside to suggest that a stable quarterback could change the team’s trajectory.
In that sense, adding Rodgers might make sense. While it’s hard to argue that Rodgers is significantly better than Wilson at this stage, his track record carries weight — and Pittsburgh may be betting on that.
With the 21st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers have an outside shot at a rookie quarterback with long-term upside. But they could also target a developmental option in the later rounds while turning to Rodgers for the short term.