After what was expected to be his final season in the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers left the team in limbo once again, as he spent time during this offseason to make a decision on whether he’d play during the 2026 NFL.
The four-time NFL MVP left everyone guessing whether he’d continue playing while being set to turn 43 years old in December.
Even though the Steelers went out and brought in Mike McCarthy, with whom Rodgers won a Super Bowl title during their time with the Green Bay Packers, to replace Mike Tomlin, who chose to step down, there was still no timely decision for the veteran gunslinger.
Aaron Rodgers Agrees to One-Year Deal With Steelers
On Saturday, that indecision came to an end for Rodgers and the Steelers, with the future Hall of Famer officially agreeing to a one-year deal to return to the team, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Although Rodgers was noncommittal on whether he’d keep playing after the Steelers were eliminated by the Houston Texans in the NFL playoffs, Pittsburgh seemed confident that he would ultimately come back for at least one more season, which obviously turned out to be what happened.
The Steelers even addressed their future at quarterback, bringing in rookie Drew Allar during the 2026 NFL Draft, who was set to share the quarterback room with Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
Now the rookie will be battling for position on the depth chart with Rodgers in the fold, and Rudolph will likely be the backup to the superstar moving forward.
Aaron Rodgers’ Contract Details Revealed
GettyAaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers
With Rodgers now having agreed to come back for his 22nd season in the NFL, the big question is what kind of deal did he get for his second year with the Steelers?
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rodgers has agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $25 million.
Although that seems like a hefty sum for a quarterback who will turn 43 during the upcoming season, it pales in comparison to what the highest-paid players at the position in the NFL.
Currently, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys is set to make the most at the quarterback position during the 2026 NFL season at a whopping $60 million. That’s $5 million more than the next quarterbacks on the list, with Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Rodgers’ former Packers teammate Jordan Love coming in at $55 million.
Then you have Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers‘ Brock Purdy at $53 million, followed by Los Angeles Chargers‘ Justin Herbert ($52.5M), Baltimore Ravens‘ Lamar Jackson ($52M) and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles ($50M), rounding out the top 10.
During the 2025 campaign, Rodgers threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 16 regular-season games.
In the one game played in the playoffs last season, he threw for 146 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception against the stout defense of the Texans.
It’ll be interesting to see what Rodgers can accomplish in 2026, being reunited with McCarthy while trying to get the best of the always-tough competition in the AFC North.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Steelers Aaron Rodgers Makes Final Decision on 2026 Season Ahead of OTAs appeared first on HEAVY.