Aaron Rodgers chose to sign a team-friendly deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, and the former MVP says a new member of his family played a role in that decision.
After taking several weeks to sort through what he described as serious issues in his personal life, Rodgers signed a one-year deal with the Steelers that has a base value of $13.65 million. While he did not have many options in free agency, the 41-year-old could have gotten a larger contract from either Pittsburgh or the New York Giants.
In an interview with Michael Silver of The Athletic that was published on Friday, Rodgers was asked why he did not command a larger salary. He suggested he took advice from his new sister-in-law, whose name is Mia.
“I was taking orders from my sister-in-law, Mia,” Rodgers said with a smile. “She’s 20 and she’s the brains of the family; you just have to ask her.”
Rodgers said he was being “partially serious” but that he made it clear all along he was not going to ask for a market-value contract.
“Every team that I talked to, I said, ‘Listen, if I play, I’m not going to take a ton of money. I’ve made a ton of money. I don’t need the money,'” Rodgers told Silver.
One report earlier in the offseason claimed Rodgers was seeking a two-year contract, but that apparently was not accurate. The Steelers were fully committed to Rodgers from the start of free agency and almost certainly would have given him a two-year deal if he wanted it.
Rodgers confirmed in June that he recently got married to a mystery woman. Though very little is known about the quarterback’s wife other than that her name is Brittani, Rodgers has openly gushed about her. Apparently Brittani’s sister has influence over Rodgers as well.
Rodgers previously gave a much more reasonable explanation for why he signed only a one-year deal with the Steelers.
