Aaron Rodgers finally agreed to put pen to paper last week to become the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When news of the Rodgers signing first broke, not much was known about the contract other than the fact that it was a one-year deal. More details have since emerged about the four-time MVP’s incentive-laden contract.
Rodgers’ deal has a base salary of $13.65 million with $10 million guaranteed. It also gives the 41-year-old a chance to earn up to $5.85 million worth of incentives. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared a breakdown of Rodgers’ long list of incentives.
The first requisite for Rodgers to be eligible for any incentive is that he play at least 70% of the Steelers’ snaps during the regular season. Rodgers’ lone individual performance-based incentive is a $1.5 million bonus if he wins his fifth MVP award.
The rest of the incentives involve Rodgers leading the Steelers into the playoffs and beyond. He would get $500,000 if Pittsburgh makes the postseason.
Rodgers would earn an additional $600,000 if the Steelers make it past the Wild Card round or get a bye. He would score $750,000 for a Divisional Round win, $1 million for an AFC Championship Game victory, and $1.5 million more if the Steelers win the Super Bowl. All four playoff victory incentives require Rodgers to play at least 50% of the respective postseason games to qualify.
Pittsburgh went to great lengths to sign Rodgers to the bonus-filled contract. But the future Hall of Famer was essentially the Steelers’ third QB option this offseason.
