Pittsburgh Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers' one-year, $15M AAV deal with the Steelers earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI) — a slight overpay that reflects the complexity of betting on a quarterback at this stage of his career rather than a clean value win for Pittsburgh's front office. At $15M AAV, the Steelers are paying a above-average starter salary for a player whose production tier is genuinely difficult to project — Rodgers carries franchise-caliber name recognition and pedigree, but the on-field reality heading into 2026 is far murkier than the marquee price tag suggests. The age and career arc concern here is real: this is a veteran signal-caller on a short runway, and a one-year structure at least acknowledges that Pittsburgh isn't betting the next half-decade of cap space on an uncertain proposition. The single-year term is the smartest element of this deal — it caps the downside exposure and preserves roster flexibility if the experiment doesn't translate, which is the primary reason the CVI doesn't fall further. What nudges the grade down from neutral territory is the salary itself: $15M for a one-year reclamation play on a quarterback whose recent availability and durability have been legitimate concerns is a premium the market didn't necessarily demand. The offseason buzz surrounding the signing — teammates publicly expressing enthusiasm and the deal taking five months to finalize — paints a picture of a front office that was more emotionally invested in landing Rodgers than coldly disciplined about the price. It's a defensible gamble, but the value ledger doesn't tilt in Pittsburgh's favor.