Aaron Rodgers officially signed his one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday that will pay him up to $19.5 million after incentives.
He will be the team's starting quarterback next season, and is expected to report to mini camp.
While Rodgers had long been rumored as an option for Pittsburgh, he was reportedly not the team's first choice, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"This was the best move that the Pittsburgh Steelers could make right now," Schefter said on Get Up on Friday. "But let's also remember that this was the third option for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were in on Matthew Stafford and couldn't get [a trade done]. They tried to re-sign Justin Fields, and he opted to go to the New York Jets, where he'll meet Aaron Rodgers on opening day. And after they couldn't get a trade done for Stafford and couldn't get Fields re-signed, they pivoted to Aaron Rodgers."
ESPN #NFL Insider @AdamSchefter revealed that Aaron Rodgers was the #Steelers ‘third choice’ at QB this offseason. 😳
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) June 6, 2025
They preferred re-signing Justin Fields who signed with the #Jets & they explored a trade with the #Rams for Matthew Stafford.
After those pursuits failed, they… pic.twitter.com/21y87lSehO
It will be interesting to see if Rodgers will bounce back after an up-and-down 2024 that saw him throw for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Insider Says Aaron Rodgers Was Steelers' Third Option at Quarterback.