Overview
- The Steelers applied the unrestricted-free-agent tender to Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday, a seldom-used tool that lets him sign with any team until July 22 or the first day of training camp.
- If Rodgers chooses Pittsburgh, the tender locks in a 10% raise from last year, paying him about $15 million for 2026.
- An NFL notice to teams said the Steelers gain exclusive negotiating rights after the cutoff, and a deal elsewhere before then could count in the compensatory draft-pick formula.
- Rodgers has not announced whether he will play in 2026, and Pittsburgh has stocked the position with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and third-round pick Drew Allar for new coach Mike McCarthy.
- This UFA tender is rare but has precedent, including the Patriots with LeGarrette Blount in 2017 and the Chargers and Browns in 2025, and it both compresses a player’s market window and protects a team’s compensatory-pick position.