Aaron Rodgers’ one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers already carried some risk when it was signed. Jacoby Brissett’s new contract with Arizona makes that risk look a lot easier to spot.
The Steelers gave Rodgers a deal worth up to $25 million guaranteed for another season, a number that felt reasonable at the time for an older quarterback with a long résumé. But Brissett’s new $15.5 million agreement with the Cardinals shifts the conversation. For a player who had to wait out a stalemate with the front office, the number landed as a franchise-friendly compromise - and a reminder that Pittsburgh is paying a premium for its veteran.
Brissett had a case for the raise. In 2025, he threw for 3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns, with just eight interceptions.
The record next to those numbers was rough - 1-11 as a starter - but Arizona still needed a quarterback. Kyler Murray is now in Minnesota after seven seasons as the starter, and Carson Beck is better off learning than being thrown into the fire.
That left Brissett as one of the few real answers.
That’s where the comparison to Rodgers gets interesting.
Pittsburgh is paying Rodgers $12 million more than it paid him last year, when he was on a $13.5 million deal. The Steelers know exactly what they’re buying: experience, leadership, and a veteran presence for Drew Allar and Will Howard. But the price jump is hard to miss, especially when Brissett’s deal looks like the kind of number many expected Rodgers’ contract to land around.
Rodgers did give Pittsburgh real production last season. He helped lead the Steelers to an AFC North championship, finishing with 3,322 passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions.
He did it with unavailable receivers and an offensive scheme that wasn’t built to last, and he did it while dealing with the reality of being 42 years old. That matters.
The Steelers were never going to hand the offense to an unready gunslinger if they could avoid it. Arizona was in a similar spot without Brissett.
In both cases, the teams leaned into the value of experience and settled on another year with their quarterback. The difference is that Pittsburgh’s version comes at a much steeper price.
That’s the real question now: does Rodgers’ paycheck match the production? The answer will have to come on the field.
There’s no mystery about the difference between the two quarterbacks. Rodgers is a four-time MVP and a Super Bowl champion.
Brissett still hasn’t won a playoff game. But Brissett’s deal is the cleaner reference point for what a seasoned, limited-mobility quarterback can command.
Rodgers is being paid well above that line, and the Steelers are betting the future Hall of Famer can make it worth every dollar in what could be his last rodeo.
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Howard still has time to change that conversation once camp and the preseason begin, and that is where this gets interesting for the Steelers. A new coaching staff has every reason to take a long look at all its options, but it also has a veteran in Rudolph who already knows how to handle the role. For Howard, the next few weeks are less about hype and more about proving he can force the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Suddenly Face A Costly Joey Porter Jr. Problem
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The contract side only adds another layer. Pittsburgh still plans to get Porter extended before the season, but the cornerback market has been climbing, and Denzel Wards new deal in Cleveland has only pushed the price tag higher for top corners. For the Steelers, that leaves a familiar front-office balancing act: keep a key young defender in the fold without letting a rising market turn a straightforward extension into a costly standoff. [Read more 🡒]
Joey Porter Jr. May Be Pricing Himself Into A Steelers Standoff
Joey Porter Jr. has become one of the Steelers most important contract decisions, and the shape of the market around him is making the conversation harder, not easier. Pittsburgh and its young cornerback still have not bridged the gap on an extension, with the disagreement centered on average annual salary and how Porter should be valued against the leagues top corners.
Recent talks for other premium defensive backs have only sharpened the stakes, because every big number at the position gives Porter another reason to press his case. The Steelers also have to keep an eye on the rest of their extension pipeline, which means this one is not happening in a vacuum and could linger as Pittsburgh tries to balance present value with future cap planning. [Read more 🡒]