Aaron Rodgers Could Be Seeking One Thing from Steelers
NFL insider Dianna Russini said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Thursday that the Pittsburgh Steelers might not be there yet on the financials with Aaron Rodgers. That could be the hold up in the never ending Rodgers saga.
“When it comes down to it, usually it’s money,” Russini said. “Financials are always part of it. He does not need to sign and take some cheap deal. He knows the Steelers need him. Do I think he was going to be willing to take less to play for a team that he thinks is a Super Bowl-caliber team, like the Minnesota Vikings? Absolutely. But I think this situation is different. There’s gonna be a number here, that’s gonna make Aaron happy. And I just don’t know if Pittsburgh is there yet.”
Rich Eisen suggested that Rodgers could be looking more than $40 million per year. It seems unlikely that the Steelers would grant that.
“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.”
Steelers president Art Rooney II said the team is getting good signs about where it stands with Rodgers, though no decision has been made yet.
Speaking at the close of the 2025 NFL owners meetings on Tuesday, Rooney admitted that has been surprised that things have taken as long as they have with the free agent quarterback, but the team continues to be confident he’ll eventually sign with the Steelers.
Rooney said he saw Rodgers choosing to work out with Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf as one of a number of positive signs the team has gotten that Rodgers will eventually sign in Pittsburgh.
“I would say it’s a good sign he wanted to do that,” Rooney said. “We keep hearing that he’s, I guess, headed in our direction. That seems to be all signs are positive so far. … We keep getting positive sort-of signals about it. I’d say we feel pretty good about it.”
That was the general theme at the NFL owners meeting. Rooney, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan all sounded confident that Rodgers will sign with the Steelers.
“When you talk to people from Pittsburgh, they really give you the sense that this is all gonna work out,” Russini said. “We’re fine, you heard Mike Tomlin, I’m not panicked. He’s having the direct communication with Rodgers and I believe Rodgers is telling him, ‘We’ll get there.'”
Rooney did not give a timeframe for a decision from Rodgers, and said the team is comfortable waiting at this point.
“Not forever, but a little while longer,” he said. “… Hopefully, we’ll know something soon.”
Outside of a possible contract disagreement, Rodgers could also be waiting on the Minnesota Vikings.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks Rodgers hasn’t signed with Pittsburgh yet because he’s holding out for the Vikings. Roethlisberger believes Rodgers would prefer to play for the Purple and Gold.
“I think Aaron [Rodgers] is secretly still holding out for Minnesota—which is why he hasn’t signed with the Steelers,” Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. “Why else would you go throw with DK and working out, and blast it to everybody that ‘I’m throwing to these guys,’ but you won’t sign? I just think he thinks that Minnesota is a more complete, closer team to win a Super Bowl, and he might not be wrong.”
Adam Schefter of ESPN also thinks Aaron Rodgers still has the Vikings on his mind.
“I do think he’s been waiting in the back of his mind for Minnesota,” Schefter said on ESPN Milwaukee.