Mike McCarthy and Art Rooney II Break Silence on Placing Tender on Steelers 42-Year-Old QB
The Steelers expected a decision from veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers about whether or not he’ll return for the 2026 season before the draft. They’re still waiting for an answer, so they found a way to give themselves some protection. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the Steelers placed a right-of-first-refusal tender on Rodgers. The media and fans have been speculating about the reason why the Steelers placed the rarely-used tender on the 42-year-old.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy, who the team hired after Mike Tomlin stepped down in January, broke his silence on the team’s decision. On Wednesday, he spoke with Mark Madden on Pittsburgh radio station 105.9 The X. When asked about why the team placed the tender on Rodgers, McCarthy replied, “It really doesn’t have any effect on it.” He explained, “It’s just really a business transaction that puts us in position to potentially gain a compensatory pick down the road. Frankly, if we didn’t do our administrative duty here, we should be criticized for it. That’s the only intent of this process.” Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II made an appearance on NFL Network’s The Insiders on Wednesday evening. Addressing the team’s decision, he said, “The main thing that the tender gives us is the potential for a comp pick if Aaron would choose to go to another team.” He added, “We don’t expect that, but by the same token, you never know. It’s just something we had an opportunity to protect if needed.”
If Rodgers returns to the Steelers, he’ll get a ten percent raise from his salary from last year, which would amount to approximately $15 million. The four-time NFL MVP still has the right to negotiate with other teams, and the Steelers get the opportunity to match an offer from another team. If the 42-year-old receives an offer from another team and the Steelers decline to match it, he’s free to sign elsewhere. ESPN’s Adam Schefter shared an NFL note regarding the tender that states, “The Steelers will receive exclusive negotiating rights for Rodgers if he does not sign by July 22nd, 2026 or the first scheduled day of the first 2026 NFL training camp, whichever is later. If Rodgers signs with a New Club before that date, he would be a potential Compensatory Free Agent lost by the Steelers and a potential CFA gained by the New Club if all other requirements are met under the Compensatory Draft System’s rules.”
The Steelers are now anticipating an answer from Rodgers by the start of organized team activities, which is May 18th. While there’s no guarantee that the four-time NFL MVP will reach a decision by then, the timeframe is ideal because then the franchise would have the entire team together for the first few weeks of practice prior to the break before training camp. If Rodgers doesn’t decide before OTAs, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and third-round draft pick Drew Allar will get extra opportunities to showcase their talents to the Steelers’ coaching staff. It will be interesting to see how the quarterback situation unfolds.
