After months of rumors and speculation, Aaron Rodgers is now officially a Pittsburgh Steeler, and while he’s not expected to be competing in any high-stakes contests this year, Rodgers is still managing to dominate the pay sheets. His one-year, $13.5-million contract with the AFC contenders includes $10 million in guarantees and contains a max value of $19.5 million when accounting for incentives.
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Rodgers’ total career earnings now sit at a total north of $395 million, seeing him fall just shy of becoming the first player in NFL history to secure $400 million in contracts. Nevertheless, his $13.5-million payday still measures up to those of his contemporaries.
For example, Rodgers’ fellow veteran, Russell Wilson, just came to an agreement with the New York Giants that will see him earn $10.5 million throughout the course of the 2025 regular season. Despite Wilson being five years younger than Rodgers, his dwindling status as a veteran very much matches the profile of the former Packer, suggesting that the majority of teams have very little interest in spending on proven yet aging veteran quarterbacks.
Pittsburgh famously took advantage of the Denver Broncos’ decision to pay the majority of Wilson’s 2024 salary by signing him to a one-year deal that was only worth $1.21 million. While that low-cost figure is certainly more of a result of the low-cost, low-risk scenario rather than a reflection of Wilson’s value on the market, the immediate signing of Rodgers to a multi-million-dollar deal does little to paint him in a favorable light.
Then again, neither Wilson nor Rodgers figures to be in a favorable position at the moment. Both have seen a significant downturn in production throughout the past several seasons, suggesting that their retirements may come sooner rather than later.
Given the particulars of their respective contracts, it appears as if the Steelers and the Giants are offering both of them what may very well be their last opportunities at being starters in the NFL. Unlike Wilson, however, Rodgers will presumably go unchallenged for the job title throughout the next calendar year.
In an ideal world, Pittsburgh will be able to squeeze out the little bit of magic that likely remains in Rodgers. After the franchise once stood in the way of his Super Bowl dreams, he’s now tasked with reviving their playoff aspirations.
While the signing definitely makes for a surprise ending to the future Hall of Famer’s career, it also suggests that the odds won’t be in his favor come September. Then again, if there’s anyone who could manage to pull the Steelers’ organization out of the fire, it’s likely the quarterback who has more game-winning, Hail Mary pass attempts than anyone else in NFL history.
