Omar Khan was confident that the Pittsburgh Steelers wouldn’t have to wait as long for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision this year. The team waited months for the quarterback sign with them last offseason, and while it isn’t at that point yet, there’s still no end in sight. Rodgers explained that much of the wait last year was because he was dealing with personal issues. Former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch believes there is a different reason for the hang-up this time around.
“This is a guy who outplayed his contract,” Batch said recently on his Snap Count podcast. “I will stand by this, and there’s not many people out there, I may be the only one, saying this at this particular point.
“This decision is coming down to money. The Steelers would like him to come back, yes, but it’s not going to be at the $13 million number. I’m sure Aaron, at some point, and I have not spoken to him, but I’m sure his representatives are wanting something closer to $30 [million]. And you hope that, somewhere, you meet in the middle.”
Rodgers’ one-year deal last year was worth a little less than $14 million, and it made him the league’s 22nd highest-paid quarterback. It’s hard to say that he outplayed that too much. He threw for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 16 games.
That’s a fine season, and Rodgers looked like the Steelers’ best quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired, but it’s not worth a drastic pay increase. Quarterbacks come at a premium and their price tags often reflect that. However, $30 million for one year of Rodgers is too much.
That would put him in a similar range as Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. Rodgers isn’t as good as either at this point in his career, and he turned 42 in December. Getting him on the same price as last year feels fair.
Also, it would be odd if money was a Rodgers sticking point. He’s made plenty in his career, and he made it clear last year that he doesn’t need a lot of money to play. He wants to add to his legacy and make another run at a championship.
Maybe Batch is correct and Rodgers’ agent is pushing for him to ask the Steelers for money. Getting inside Rodgers’ head isn’t easy. There’s no telling what his reasons are. He could simply be in no rush. During his last public appearance, he sounded like he was enjoying his personal life. Rodgers waited until early June to make an official decision last year. Hopefully, no matter the issue, it doesn’t take that long again.