Steelers Place RFR Tender on Free Agent Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed a right-of-first-refusal tender on unrestricted free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, securing the right to match any offer he receives from another team and positioning the franchise for a potential compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere.

The move, reported Tuesday, offers Rodgers a 10 percent raise from his 2025 base salary of $13.65 million, bringing it to approximately $15 million for the 2026 season. If Rodgers does not sign a contract by July 22 or the first day of training camp, whichever is later, the Steelers would gain exclusive negotiating rights with him. The tender is a rare strategy for unrestricted free agents, though teams like the Chargers and Browns have used similar ones recently.

Rodgers, 42, joined the Steelers last offseason on a one-year deal after stints with the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets. In 2025, his first season in Pittsburgh, he started 16 games, completing 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The performance helped the team reach the playoffs, though they lost in the wild-card round to the Houston Texans.

The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as head coach in...