PITTSBURGH — Aaron Rodgers has reached an agreement with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Sources told Channel 11 Sports Director Jenna Harner on Saturday that Rodgers will be back on a one-year deal.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rodgers is expected to be at the Steelers voluntary minicamp on Monday.
Schefter said Rodgers will receive a base salary between $22 million and $23 million.
Our partners at SteelersNOW report that Rodgers was spotted with Ben Skowronek, Pat Freiermuth and Mason Rudolph last night.
The four-time MVP became a free agent at the end of last season, and it was widely assumed his two options were retiring or returning to the Steelers.
Steelers leadership was vocal throughout the offseason that they wanted Rodgers back. Initially, they wouldn’t put a timeline on his decision, but it was expected that he would make a decision before the NFL Draft came to the Steelers’ backyard.
The pre-draft announcement didn’t happen.
Instead, Rodgers came to an agreement a week after he was in Pittsburgh without meeting with the team.
Rodgers decision certainly impacted the Steelers’ draft strategy, although, insider Tom Pelissero reported, that the team’s picks may have been selected with Rodgers in mind.
Some factors made it seem like Rodgers’ return would be unlikely, namely, head coach Mike Tomlin stepping down after 19 years.
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Rodgers had been vocal that he came to the Steelers in part for Tomlin’s leadership, and many speculated about the impact his departure would have.
But then, the Steelers quickly hired a veteran coach whom Rodgers is deeply familiar with: McCarthy. And while the team denied bringing in McCarthy as the next head coach to lure Rodgers into returning for another season, it was nevertheless a move that insiders thought could impact Rodgers’ decision-making.
And McCarthy was quick to state his interest in bringing back Rodgers.
“I don’t see why you wouldn’t,” he said during his first press conference. “I watched most of the Pittsburgh games on TV, and I thought he was a great asset for the team.”
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This will be Rodgers’ 22nd season in the NFL. He spent 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, including 13-years under McCarthy, and brought them a Super Bowl win in 2010.
He then spent two seasons with the New York Jets. He spent all but four snaps of his first season with the team recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon.
Rodgers played 16 games with the Steelers last season, battling through wrist fractures to help get the team into the playoffs for the third year in a row. The Steelers lost to the Texans at home 30-6 in the AFC Wild Card game.
Other quarterbacks currently on the Steelers roster are Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and 2026 third-round draft pick Drew Allar.
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