12:31pm: Rodgers passed his physical and officially signed his contract with the Steelers on Saturday, according to Rapoport. It’s a one-year deal with a base value of $13.65MM and $10MM in guaranteed money, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Playtime and team performance incentives could boost Rodgers’ earnings to a maximum of $19.5MM.
With the i’s dotted and the t’s crossed, Rodgers is now set to participate in Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp next week.
12:01pm: The Steelers’ monthslong pursuit of Aaron Rodgers is all but over. The four-time MVP just has to pass a physical before formally signing in Pittsburgh to take over as the team’s starting quarterback for the 2025 season.
Rodgers’ physical should happen in the coming days, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, likely by the time the Steelers’ minicamp starts on Tuesday, June 9. Rodgers will have three days to familiarize himself with his new teammates, coaches, and playbook before the team breaks for the summer until training camp kicks off in July. According to Rapoport, the Steelers and others familiar with the veteran quarerback’s thinking were expecting this timeline all along.
However, unlike his move to New York, Rodgers doesn’t have an established rapport with his new coaches and teammates. The Jets hired former Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett and signed longtime Rodgers teammate Allen Lazard in anticipation of the veteran quarterback’s arrival in 2023, but Pittsburgh made no such moves this offseason. Rodgers did practice with D.K. Metcalf this offseason, but he has no playing history with Steelers OC Arthur Smith or any of the team’s offensive weapons.
Details of Rodgers’ deal with the Steelers remain unknown. The base salary is expected to be in the $10MM range floated by Rodgers back in April, per Rapoport, with incentives that could reach $20MM at most.
That would be the lowest APY of Rodgers’ career outside of his rookie contract. Rapoport suggested that Rodgers was willing to take an inexpensive deal to help the Steelers bolster their roster around him, but it’s unlikely he could have earned more elsewhere after receiving little interest from other teams this offseason.
The end to the Steelers-Rodgers saga also has implications for other teams, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post. The Vikings briefly flirted with signing Rodgers earlier in the offseason but appeared to close the door on the idea soon after. That door is now locked, solidifying J.J. McCarthy as Minnesota’s unquestioned starter this season. The Steelers were also the last potential trade destination for Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, likely keeping him in Atlanta for another year as Michael Penix‘s backup.