Tom Pelissero Explains Steelers’ Aaron Rodgers Right-of-First-Refusal Tender

Tom Pelissero made a surprise appearance on The Rich Eisen Show to clean up some bad reporting making the rounds about Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The headline making noise online claimed the Steelers had hit Rodgers with a UFA tender that included a right of first refusal. Pelissero said that part is wrong. There is no right to match involved here.

What the UFA tender actually does, Pelissero explained, is offer a one-year deal at 110 percent of last year's salary. For Rodgers, that calculates out to roughly a $15.5 million tender for 2026. But the dollar figure is not the point. The point is procedural.

The window for calculating compensatory picks closed Monday for all unrestricted free agents, except for players who get the UFA tender. Without the tender, if Rodgers signs with another team tomorrow, Pittsburgh gets nothing. With the tender, the Steelers protect their rights to a fourth or fifth round compensatory pick if Rodgers signs elsewhere at this contract level.

"This is strictly a formality," Pelissero said. "It protects their rights. Nothing has changed."

The tool is rare because most stars get signed before the comp pick window closes. Last year Pelissero pointed to two examples. JK Dobbins got the UFA tender and signed with Denver. Elijah Moore got it and signed with Buffalo. Neither was prevented from leaving.

Pelissero also pushed back on the conspiracy theorists who took the tender as proof the Steelers know something the rest of the league doesn't. The opposite is true. If Pittsburgh had a firm commitment from Rodgers, this paperwork would not be necessary. The Steelers gave Rodgers and his agent a heads-up before filing it. Communication continues. Everything is pointing toward Rodgers coming back. But it is, as always with him, ultimately up to the most unpredictable player in the NFL.

The target date Pelissero is watching is May 18th. That is the first day of OTAs. He expects to know something in the next couple of weeks.

The other piece Pelissero highlighted was what Pittsburgh has built around the position. Two offensive linemen added in the first couple of days of the draft. A bigger-bodied wide receiver. The kind of supporting cast a 41-year-old quarterback would want to see if he is going to commit to a 22nd NFL season. If Rodgers is anywhere on the planet checking his phone, Pelissero suggested those moves are exactly the breadcrumbs Pittsburgh wants him to find.

Rich asked about the contingency plan. What if Rodgers stays retired? Pelissero ran the room. The Steelers are high on sixth-round pick Will Howard, who looked good in the bonus mini camp leading into the draft. Drew Allar is more developmental, with traits, size, an arm, and intelligence, but the Penn State tape was a roller coaster. Mike McCarthy, Pelissero noted, is one of the best quarterback developers in the league, and that is exactly why you take a player with traits in a developmental slot. Mason Rudolph is still on the roster.

If Rodgers does not come back, the early money is on Howard.

But Pelissero's read is unchanged. The Steelers want Rodgers. Rodgers, by every signal, is leaning Pittsburgh. The tender is a guardrail, not a power play.