When Aaron Rodgers was still making up his mind about whether or not he'd play in 2025, or who he'd play for, he said publicly that he'd play for $10 million. It turns out that number wasn't some thing he pulled out of thin air.
Rodgers' one-year contract with the Steelers comes with $10 million guaranteed and a $13.65 million base. His cap hit for the 2025 season is $14.15 million, which ranks 19th among quarterbacks. Rodgers can make as much as $20 million this season through incentives.
Rodgers' one-year contract is broken down as follows: The $10 million guaranteed is all signing bonus money, $3.65 million is strictly salary and $500K accounts for a per game roster bonus, equaling the $14.15 million cap hit.
For remainder of the $5.85 million in incentives, Rodgers can earn $500K if the Steelers clinch a playoff berth, $600K with a wild-card win or if the Steelers earn a bye, $750K if the Steelers win in the divisional round, $1 million if they win the AFC Championship and $1.5 million if they win the Super Bowl and another $1.5 million if he wins his fifth career MVP award.
With Rodgers now under contract, the Steelers have $18.8 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. With the room needed to sign players to the practice squad and additional breathing room for signing players during the season, in which every dollar is accounted for toward the cap, the Steelers have roughly $9 million in real cap space.
As the Steelers search for another pass catcher, they can create more cap space one of two ways. First, there are still plenty of contracts that can be restructured. Restructuring Pat Freiermuth's contract, for example, would create $7.21 million in cap space.
Another way to create room is signing T.J. Watt to a contract extension. Watt's cap hit for 2025 is $30.42 million, but the Steelers typically use extensions as an opportunity to create cap relief. For example, the Steelers lowered DK Metcalf's 2025 cap hit by $7 million when they signed him to his five-year, $150 million extension after he was acquired in the trade prior to free agency.
Obviously, we won't find out for several months if signing Rodgers was worth it for the Steelers. But, in relation to the way quarterbacks are paid in 2025, it comes as a very cheap deal.
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THE ASYLUM
Chris Halicke
10:05 pm - 06.14.2025South SideRodgers contract details known
When Aaron Rodgers was still making up his mind about whether or not he'd play in 2025, or who he'd play for, he said publicly that he'd play for $10 million. It turns out that number wasn't some thing he pulled out of thin air.
Rodgers' one-year contract with the Steelers comes with $10 million guaranteed and a $13.65 million base. His cap hit for the 2025 season is $14.15 million, which ranks 19th among quarterbacks. Rodgers can make as much as $20 million this season through incentives.
Rodgers' one-year contract is broken down as follows: The $10 million guaranteed is all signing bonus money, $3.65 million is strictly salary and $500K accounts for a per game roster bonus, equaling the $14.15 million cap hit.
For remainder of the $5.85 million in incentives, Rodgers can earn $500K if the Steelers clinch a playoff berth, $600K with a wild-card win or if the Steelers earn a bye, $750K if the Steelers win in the divisional round, $1 million if they win the AFC Championship and $1.5 million if they win the Super Bowl and another $1.5 million if he wins his fifth career MVP award.
With Rodgers now under contract, the Steelers have $18.8 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com. With the room needed to sign players to the practice squad and additional breathing room for signing players during the season, in which every dollar is accounted for toward the cap, the Steelers have roughly $9 million in real cap space.
As the Steelers search for another pass catcher, they can create more cap space one of two ways. First, there are still plenty of contracts that can be restructured. Restructuring Pat Freiermuth's contract, for example, would create $7.21 million in cap space.
Another way to create room is signing T.J. Watt to a contract extension. Watt's cap hit for 2025 is $30.42 million, but the Steelers typically use extensions as an opportunity to create cap relief. For example, the Steelers lowered DK Metcalf's 2025 cap hit by $7 million when they signed him to his five-year, $150 million extension after he was acquired in the trade prior to free agency.
Obviously, we won't find out for several months if signing Rodgers was worth it for the Steelers. But, in relation to the way quarterbacks are paid in 2025, it comes as a very cheap deal.
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