Aaron Rodgers, as we all expected to happen eventually, is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The veteran quarterback and four-time NFL MVP agreed to terms with the proud organization earlier this week and is expected to be on the field for minicamp starting Tuesday, June 10. On Saturday, though, we got word of Rodgers' contract details and the $13.65 million base salary on the deal, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, is far less than the $20 million rough estimate that was initially reported.
The contract could be worth just shy of that $20 million mark, $19.5 million to be exact, but just under $6 million of the deal is tied up in performance incentives that the new Steelers quarterback will have to earn with his performance on the field.
Given his lackluster play in New York and the history of Rodgers' enigmatic behavior, this contract structure makes it look even better for the Steelers' and their outlook for the 2025 season.
Aaron Rodgers contract details: Steelers QB gets $13.65 million with nearly $6 million in incentives
For one, the Steelers simply aren't overly committed to Rodgers with this deal. $13.65 million on a one-year contract with just $10 million guaranteed gives Pittsburgh more flexibility to potentially keep adding to the roster this offseason — another wide receiver to go with DK Metcalf, perhaps — while also having the opportunity to roll over cap space as well.
That, in itself, is a win, especially when you consider that, despite Rodgers' career accolades, he is in his 40s now and there is an inherent risk the Steelers are taking with signing him. The guaranteed value already mitigates some of that gamble, but that's even more so the case when it comes to the incentives in the deal.
Steelers are protecting themselves with Aaron Rodgers' incentive-laden deal
Beyond his age and questions about performance, Rodgers at this point of his career has to be someone that the Steelers or any interested party would have to be concerned about his level of engagement. He's long had interests outside of football at this point, perhaps to the degree that it could be considered a distraction. So, even though he's also been a competitor throughout the last two-ish decades, there has to be some worry that he might not be locked into Pittsburgh's ultimate goal of contending.
Putting nearly one-third of the total potential value of Rodgers' contract in incentives helps protect the Steelers from a complacent or disinterested iteration of the quarterback. It gives them an unspoken assurance that the veteran will come in and give his best because, now, it's both in his best interest and the best interest of the Steelers for him to do so.
Does that mean that Rodgers in Pittsburgh is going to work? Not at all, frankly. He looked questionable at best returning from the 2023 Achilles injury last season, even with some impressive flashes. However, there are concerns about whether he can ever again return to anything close to MVP-caliber form.
The contract structure ensures that, if there is any chance of that happening, though, the Steelers will be able to push that out of them. If it means nearly $6 million more for Rodgers to do that and perform at the highest levels of his current ability, then they are going to have him motivated to be his best now.