Insiders address why Aaron Rodgers accepted team-friendly contract to join Steelers

The one-year, $13.65M contract that included $10M in guaranteed money and has a maximum value of $19.5M that quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed to join the Pittsburgh Steelers is quite a bargain for the club considering what other signal-callers will make during the upcoming campaign. 

On Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk touched upon why Rodgers agreed to a team-friendly deal.

"The Steelers aren't done building," Rapoport said during a Monday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," per Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot. "This is sort of why you do it. You take a low salary and you say, 'I'm not doing this for the money.' And you kind of just hope the team loads up around you. I would also say I always kind of weirdly got the sense that Rodgers was uncomfortable making so much money."

Pittsburgh is expected to sign star pass-rusher T.J. Watt to a contract extension and also add a weapon such as current New York Jets wide receiver Allen Lazard or Romeo Doubs of the Green Bay Packers before Week 1. 

For his article published on Monday afternoon, Florio wrote that Rodgers' deal could help the Steelers as it pertains to possibly making a move before the in-season trade deadline arrives this coming fall. 

"We’re told that Rodgers would’ve played for even less than the deal he signed, but that [agent David Dunn] pushed him to take more," Florio added. "...It’s still not known how Rodgers can pump up his pay from $13.65M to $19.5M. There’s talk that one factor to unlock the maximum package is winning the Super Bowl."

Months after the Jets acquired Rodgers from the Packers in the spring of 2023, he accepted a significant pay cut to help Gang Green build around him. He then went down with a torn Achilles in September of that year, and he was banged up throughout the 2024 season that the Jets finished at 5-12.

According to the Spotrac website, Rodgers has earned over $380M from just his NFL contracts during his Hall of Fame career. Thus, he could easily afford to give the Steelers some financial relief ahead of what could be his final season as an active player.