While there's been months of rumor and speculation over Aaron Rodgers's future in football—and whether it includes a stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers beginning this fall—there was one crucial voice that we hadn't heard much from since the end of the 2024 season: Rodgers himself.
That changed on Thursday afternoon, with Rodgers's appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. A regular weekly guest during the football season, the former Green Bay Packers and New York Jets signal caller has taken his time in reaching a decision on whether he plays for the Steelers, another heretofore unknown franchise or hangs up his cleats.
One thing that won't be a significant hurdle if Rodgers does want to play in 2025 is money. There had been some chatter indicating that the 41-year-old wants to play for top dollar once again. He told McAfee that he'd be happy playing for $10 million.
"There's been a lot of people assuming they have information about me that's just not true. I've been straight up with teams from the start about where I was at, starting with the money thing. I told every single one of the teams I talked to, 'It ain't about the money. I'll play for $10 [million].' I don't care. I never once said I need a multi-year deal, $30–40 million is absolute bulls---. I said, 'I'll play for 10.'"
"I've had a lot of great conversations with a lot of teams..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 17, 2025
I've been up front with all of them..
I told every single one of the teams I talked to that it wasn't about the money and I would play for $10M" ~ @AaronRodgers12 #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/c4HUf3H4IZ
Rodgers said that while he does not intend to hold Pittsburgh or any other franchise hostage, he made clear that he is on his own timeline to reach a decision, even with the NFL draft just a week away and a host of talented young quarterbacks set to enter the league.
"This entire time I haven't felt like I owe anyone a decision at any point," Rodgers said. "This is my life now ... I've been upfront with them about that. If you need to move on, if you need to do something, by all means."
At this point, it would be difficult for Rodgers to make anything close to top dollar, with just about every team, the Steelers aside, pretty set with its quarterback depth chart. And even with the Pittsburgh, their situation could change significantly with the upcoming draft, although adding a rookie quarterback doesn't necessarily preclude them from adding Rodgers. Especially if the contract number fits nearly into their salary cap space.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Rodgers Names His Price to Play Football in 2025.
