Schefter: Steelers Place Rarely-Used Tender On QB Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed a rarely-used unrestricted tender on QB Aaron Rodgers, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. 

As Schefter outlines, the tender means Rodgers can sign a one-year deal with a 10 percent increase over his 2025 salary. Once training camp begins, Rodgers would only be permitted to sign with the Steelers.

UPDATE (11:19 AM): Schefter’s initially tweeted it was a “right of first refusal” tender that would allow Pittsburgh to match should another team offer a contract. Reviewing the CBA, that is not the case, and the Steelers would not have the chance to match the offer should another team make it. Schefter’s updated the language of his tweet.

It’s an unusual move rarely exercised by teams, especially for larger contracts and the quarterback position. It’s not fully clear why Pittsburgh felt compelled to use this tender. Nor is it clear how Rodgers will react to the news. While partially procedural, it does place a level of constraint over Rodgers he might not be fond of.

In 2025, the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns applied the tender to RB J.K. Dobbins and WR Elijah Moore, respectively. Dobbins ultimately took a deal with the Denver Broncos while Moore signed with the Buffalo Bills.

As salary cap expert Nick Korte noted, this will protect Pittsburgh and allow it to receive a future compensatory selection should Rodgers sign elsewhere despite the belief that the Steelers are his only suitor.

Korte also noted this is the highest-level such tender he can recall being placed on a player. Jonathan Jones outlined the scenario in which this tender would give Pittsburgh a 2027 compensatory selection. Although by the start of training camp, Rodgers only can negotiate with the Steelers, making a compensatory scenario moot.

Our Dave Bryan crunched the numbers based on the language of this tag in the CBA, and Rodgers’ cap number will temporarily be $15,015,000.

Per reports over the last several months, Pittsburgh’s belief has been that Rodgers will return to the Steelers. The timeline for when that’ll happen has been pushed back with owner Art Rooney II noting an answer is likely to come during OTAs. Pittsburgh begins its voluntary sessions May 18 with its mandatory minicamp held in early June.

As Dave Bryan shared, the move is happening now because the compensatory formula window is about to close, meaning this type of tender had to occur right after the draft.

During an offseason interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Rodgers noted that the Steelers had yet to offer him a contract. The tender now gives him clear terms of what a deal would look like. Despite speculation, Schefter’s reported throughout the offseason that contract terms aren’t a sticking point between Rodgers and the Steelers.

Financially, using the tender means the contract applies to Pittsburgh’s salary cap, per OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald. 

The Steelers have been in regular contact with Rodgers throughout this process. It seems likely he will return. If so, the terms of his contract have been made clear with this tender. Now, the ball is in Rodgers’ court, even though it’s been throughout this process.