Steelers put seldom-used UFA tender on Rodgers
The Steelers placed the seldom-used UFA tender on quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday, which preserves Pittsburgh's right to receive a compensatory draft pick in the event that Rodgers signs with another team before July 22.
Stephen A. Smith is not a fan of what the Steelers did in the first round selecting tackle Max Iheanachor. (1:07)
PITTSBURGH -- In something of an insurance move, the Pittsburgh Steelers placed the rarely used UFA tender on Aaron Rodgers before Monday's postdraft deadline.
The UFA tender preserves the Steelers' right to receive a compensatory draft pick in the event Rodgers signs with another team while also limiting his ability to sign with another team once training camp begins. The Steelers will have exclusive negotiating rights for Rodgers if he does not sign with another team by July 22 or the first day of Pittsburgh's training camp, whichever is later.
Another condition of the tender is that Rodgers can also accept a 10% raise off last year's salary, which would pay him about $15 million this season.
Despite using the tender on him, the Steelers remain confident Rodgers will ultimately sign with them, and the move is considered a "procedural" one, one team source told ESPN. The tag is rarely used because there aren't often unrestricted free agents of Rodgers' caliber -- ones capable of having a significant impact on a team's compensatory picks -- available at this point in the league year.
A year ago, Rodgers waited to sign until early June, signing his one-year deal with the Steelers just before mandatory minicamp. At the NFL scouting combine in February, Pittsburgh general manager Omar Khan was confident this year's saga wouldn't be a repeat of the 2025 offseason.