Jan 5, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) gestures towards the Miami Dolphins bench during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Steelers Load Aaron Rodgers Deal With Incentives

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers begin minicamp with a fresh air of excitement after the signing of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The offseason drama shifts now to the plight of the regular season, but the Steelers enter the final stages of season preparation, eased by the arrival of a true starting QB.

What makes the Steelers even more excited is the contract they were able to ink Rodgers to. The 21-year veteran could have commanded a hefty deal, but the two sides came to a moderate agreement that is loaded with incentives. According to Michael Ginnitt, co-founder and editor of Spotrac, the new Steelers' quarterback can collect nearly $6 million in additional earnings if he hits all of the incentives.

Aaron Rodgers' #Steelers Contract
▪️1 year, $13.65M base
▪️$10M signing bonus
▪️$14.15M cap hit
▪️$5.85M Incentive Package
- Playoff Berth: $500k
- Wild Card Win: $600k
- Divisional Win: $750k
- Conf. Champ: $1M
- Super Bowl Win: $1.5M
- League MVP: $1.5M
— Spotrac (@spotrac) June 10, 2025

The structure of the deal is like this. The one-year deal carries a base salary of $13.65 million and he received a $10 million signing bonus. That results in his cap hit for the 2025 season coming in at $14.15 million.

The incentive package involved is worth up to $5.85 million and comes with six conditions. The first is earning a playoff berth, which will net him $500,000. Next is a Wild Card victory, which will earn him another $600,000. If he can keep things going and lead the team to a Divisional Round victory, he'd collect another $750,000.

The biggest potential bonuses come if the Steelers and Rodgers go on a true championship run. If he leads the team to an AFC Conference Championship, he'll earn a cool $1 million additionally, and has the chance to make up to $3 million if the Steelers win a Super Bowl and he wins an MVP award.

While the incentives are obviously lofty goals for Rodgers and the Steelers, the possibility remains that they achieve it. The Steelers are looking to end their eight year postseason victory drought, and they believe Rodgers is the QB who can end that streak. If it cost them an additional $6 million in the end, the Steelers will be overjoyed to take that deal.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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