Steelers just backed Aaron Rodgers into a corner after using rare NFL rule to secure his spot in Pittsburgh for the 2026 season
The Pittsburgh Steelers just used a rare NFL rule to secure Aaron Rodgers’ future in Pittsburgh, but it could end up having the reverse effect in the long run.
One of the biggest overreactions to the Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 NFL Draft class was that the selection of Drew Allar at 76 overall in the third round must mean that Aaron Rodgers isn’t coming back.
In reality, Drew Allar is there to sit, develop, and potentially blossom into a starter one day. Sure it sets up a nice battle between Allar and Will Howard in the spring and summer, but that battle is likely to be for QB No.2, with Mason Rudolph as the odd man out. So, that leaves the presumptive starter as Aaron Rodgers. Well, Pittsburgh just pushed all its chips into the middle of the table to make sure that happens.
Steelers place rare “right-of-first-refusal” tender on Aaron Rodgers
“Steelers placed the rare right-of-first-refusal tender on Aaron Rodgers, meaning that he can accept a 10 percent raise off last year’s salary, which would pay him about $15 million this season, and the Steelers also now will have the right to match any offer sheet he would sign with another team. As another condition of the tender, Rodgers would only be able to sign with the Steelers once training camp begins.” – Adam Schefter, ESPN
Why did the Steelers place this tender on Aaron Rodgers?
Monday at 4:00 p.m. Eastern was the deadline for unrestricted free agents who count against the compensatory formula. Rodgers, an unrestricted free agent, could have, and still can, sign with any other team.
However, now that the Steelers have placed this tender on Rodgers, it ensures that if he were to leave at any point this offseason and join another team, the Steelers would receive draft capital in return for his departure. But there is another reason why the Steelers did this, and it could backfire on them.
Steelers’ decision to tender Aaron Rodgers could backfire
The Steelers know that by placing this tender on Rodgers, it is extremely unlikely that any team would come calling. The language of the tag basically says that a team has to pay him a certain amount, and the Steelers have the right to match that amount. If no team does that by the time training camp begins, then Rodgers has two options: the Steelers or retirement.
I don’t know about you guys, but backing a player like Rodgers into a corner and essentially giving him an ultimatum seems like the kind of thing that could force his hand into retirement.
We have a few months to find out.