After months of speculation and retirement talks, Aaron Rodgers officially became the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. And while the announcement has sparked a wave of cautious optimism in western Pennsylvania, it’s also triggered an equal dose of anxiety.
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For some, the Steelers-Rodgers marriage is a chance to see their team make one last Super Bowl run. Or, at the very least, string together some playoff wins with one of the greatest arms the game has ever seen. For others, it’s a gamble on a 41-year-old quarterback coming off a rough stint with the Jets and still carrying the baggage of a torn Achilles just a season ago.
But, what’s found unanimous agreement among the Steelers fanbase is the fact that, financially, the deal is structured in a way that reflects exactly what they think of this moment in their franchise timeline: high upside, low base risk.
For context, Rodgers will be making $13.65 million in base salary, including $10 million fully guaranteed, which, by NFL quarterback standards and by 4x NFL MVP winning standards, is a massive discount. That alone is a win for Pittsburgh’s front office. But the real intrigue comes from the incentive package that pushes the deal’s maximum value to $19.5 million.
To unlock that full number, Rodgers will basically need to earn every penny of the $5.85 million in incentives. It’s an intense, performance-based structure that looks more like a demanding playoff checklist than a standard NFL bonus plan.
Here’s the breakdown:
- $500,000 if the Steelers make the playoffs.
- $600,000 if they advance to the divisional round, via a wild-card win (with Rodgers playing at least 50% of snaps) or a first-round bye.
- $750,000 for a divisional round win, again requiring 50% of game snaps.
- $1 million for winning the AFC Championship and the 50% snap count still applies.
- $1.5 million for delivering a Super Bowl victory while playing at least half the game.
- $1.5 million more if Rodgers wins the AP MVP award.
But even those incentives come with a catch: the former Packer must play at least 70% of the regular-season snaps just to be eligible to collect any of them. Which means health, durability, and performance are all non-negotiable if he wants the full bag.
Considering the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016, and Aaron Rodgers hasn’t appeared in a Super Bowl since the 2010 season, the path to those bonuses is anything but a guarantee.
For fans — especially those concerned about their team overpaying yet another NFL legend at the fag end of their career — these contract terms were music to their ears.
“That’s pretty team friendly, I have to say,” noted one user on Reddit. “If we win a SB or he gets league MVP, he deserves that bonus plus another $20m,” added another jubilantly.
For others, what was most impressive from Omar Khan & Co. is the fact that this Aaron Rodgers deal looks like a dream when compared to what their former quarterback, Justin Fields, is making currently in New York.
“Seems like good value for the Steelers. So roughly 75% of what Fields will cost the Jets? Fields wasn’t exactly a shoe in to be good,” they wrote.
Another Steelers faithful, however, brought back the focus by highlighting the main point of this contract structure — to ensure no complacency from Rodgers’ side.
As the Redditor implied, the incentives aren’t just bonuses. They’re benchmarks. And if Rodgers wants the full $19.5 million payday, he’s going to have to earn every snap, every win, and maybe even another MVP.
So for the Pittsburgh Steelers, this isn’t a nostalgia signing. It’s a calculated risk, wrapped in a one-year window with everything on the line. And if the results end up on their side, this marriage might end up being one of the best Mike Tomlin decisions in recent memory.
