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Art Rooney II explains why Steelers used UFA tender on Aaron Rodges
TL;DR
The Pittsburgh Steelers placed an unrestricted free-agent tender on Aaron Rodgers to potentially secure compensatory draft picks. Art Rooney II clarified that this move allows them exclusive negotiation rights if Rodgers doesn't sign elsewhere by July 22.
Key points
- Steelers placed UFA tender on Aaron Rodgers
- Decision aims for potential compensatory draft picks
- Rodgers has exclusive negotiation rights until July 22
- Tender allows for a 10% salary raise in 2026
Mentioned in this story
Aaron RodgersArt Rooney II
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers stunned the NFL world following their decision to place a rare unrestricted free-agent tender on Aaron Rodgers, leaving many fans wondering if there was more to the situation than meets the eye. Well, Art Rooney II has explained why the Steelers decided to use the UFA tender in the first place.
Making a special appearance on The Insiders from NFL Network, Rooney attempted to make sense of the Steelers' decision to place the UFA tender on Rodgers â and it's all about compensatory draft picks.
"The main thing that the tender gives us is potential for a comp pick if Aaron would choose to go to another team," Rooney said. "We don't expect that, but by that same token, you never know. It's just something that we had an opportunity to protect, if needed. The deadline was Monday. So, if we were going to do it, we needed to pull the trigger on Monday. We alerted Aaron and his representative that we were going to do it. Not a real big deal."
Per the terms of the UFA tender, the Steelers will have exclusive rights to negotiate with Rodgers if he doesn't sign with another team by July 22. He would also be able to accept a 10% raise based on his 2025 salary, which would net him $15 million in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelersâ Aaron Rodgers UFA tender explained by Art Rooney
Q&A
Why did the Pittsburgh Steelers place a UFA tender on Aaron Rodgers?
The Steelers placed a UFA tender on Aaron Rodgers to potentially secure compensatory draft picks if he chooses to sign with another team.
What are the implications of the UFA tender for Aaron Rodgers?
The UFA tender gives the Steelers exclusive negotiation rights with Rodgers until July 22, and he could receive a 10% salary raise if he remains with the team.
What did Art Rooney II say about the UFA tender decision?
Art Rooney II explained that the tender was a precautionary measure to protect their interests and potentially gain a compensatory pick if Rodgers leaves.
