Like last year, the Steelers are waiting for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Unlike last year, there\u2019s been no visit to Pittsburgh or reports of any other sit-down(s) between Rodgers and members of the team\u2019s new coaching staff. <\/p>\n
Also, the 2026 tap dance has included a contractual chess move at a time when no one realized the two sides were playing chess.<\/p>\n
So where do things stand? No one knows, but Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests that the team\u2019s \u201cpatience could be starting to wear thin<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s no way of knowing whether Dulac is simply speculating, or whether he\u2019s been told something tangible with the understanding that he\u2019ll characterize the situation as his own thoughts, and not as anything coming from the team.<\/p>\n Regardless, the fact that the Steelers applied the unrestricted free agency tender to Rodgers shows that they don\u2019t know what he\u2019s planning to do. If they did, there would have been no reason to position themselves for a compensatory draft pick, if Rodgers surprises everyone and signs with another team.<\/p>\n The UFA tender also blocks Rodgers\u2019s ability to do nothing, to wait for a potential Super Bowl contender to lose a quarterback during the season, and to swoop in and finish the job. As of July 22, the Steelers will acquire exclusive negotiating rights to Rodgers, with November 17 looming as the deadline for playing anywhere in 2026.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s really going on? It\u2019s possible that the Steelers don\u2019t really want Rodgers, but that they want him to break up with them<\/a>. It\u2019s also possible that Rodgers is waiting for the Steelers to close the door.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also possible that the two sides aren\u2019t on the same page regarding his contract for 2026. Last year, he gave them a break by taking only $13.65 million in salary. This year, what if he wants more? If former Packers quarterback Malik Willis is worth $25 million per year to the Dolphins despite having only six career starts, what is Rodgers worth to the Steelers?<\/p>\n The problem is that, by giving the Steelers a sweetheart deal a year ago, they may be expecting him to do it again. <\/p>\n The UFA tender puts more than $15 million on the table. Rodgers may want more than that. Depending on how much more he wants, the two sides could reach an impasse.<\/p>\n