Four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins has landed a lucrative five-year, $172 million deal, featuring $20 million guaranteed in 2026 with an AFC contender. What makes it even more interesting is that the Las Vegas Raiders were reportedly willing to put a similar kind of money on the table for Aaron Rodgers, a whopping eight-figure paycheck. Despite that, the former MVP didn’t take the deal, and now a Pittsburgh Steelers legend has offered some insight into the situation.
“Raiders gave Kirk 20 million,” James Harrison said on Deebo & Joe and Nightcap. There’s no way I believe that’s something that Aaron Rodgers would entertain for 20 million. Especially after being over there with the New York Jets and seeing how that turned out. And now you’re going to the Las Vegas Raiders? How many times did Geno Smith get sacked last year? He’s not trying to deal with that for 20. What are you talking about?”
The Pittsburgh Steelers legend James Harrison was weighing in on the idea of Rodgers potentially joining the AFC rivals, the Raiders, this offseason, especially amid reports of a possible eight-figure deal worth $20 million.
From his perspective, the money is not the issue. It is more about the situation Rodgers would be walking into. Harrison’s point is pretty straightforward. Rodgers would not want to put himself behind an offensive line that struggled the way Las Vegas did last season.
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It is the same kind of situation that made things difficult for Geno Smith.
Smith, who spent last season with the Raiders, had a rough year playing behind that offensive line. He led the league with 17 interceptions and was sacked 55 times, numbers that highlight just how tough things were.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll did not shy away from that reality.
“We got killed, we got killed,” Carroll said. “Our offensive line over the last couple of years just wasn’t good enough. We needed to upgrade it more than we did, and it didn’t happen in the draft or in the offseason. We needed to give those guys a better chance to compete. When you see that many sacks, it is not just one thing. The whole situation just didn’t come together.”
After the 2025 season, Smith was traded to the Jets, along with a 2026 seventh-round pick, in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
With Geno Smith now in New York, Harrison’s point feels even clearer. He believes Aaron Rodgers would think twice about stepping into a similar situation again for $20 million, especially when he is expected to demand more in terms of money.
Aaron Rodgers’ expected contract value
While Kirk Cousins has reportedly signed a five-year, $172 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, there is still a lot of uncertainty about what kind of contract Aaron Rodgers could land.
According to Spotrac, Rodgers’ market value is currently projected at around $10.6 million per year. For context, he played last season on a one-year, $13.65 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch sees things a little differently and believes money could be the main reason behind Rodgers’ delayed decision.
“I’m sure Aaron and I have not spoken to him, but I’m sure his representatives want something closer to $30 [million], and you hope that, somewhere, you meet in the middle.” Batch said on “The Snap Count,” “If they’re able to do so, Aaron will be back. If not, he’s going to walk away and say, ‘I’m done. ‘That’s why you have not heard his decision.”
From a performance standpoint, Rodgers’ 3,322 passing yards and 24 touchdowns last season were his lowest totals since he became the full-time starter for the Green Bay Packers back in 2008. Last year, he was active for the majority of the season, only missing one game due to a fracture in his non-throwing wrist.
The team had a record of 10-7 and reached the playoffs but didn’t stay there for long and lost in a heartbreaking game against the Houston Texans in the AFC Wild Card round.
If Pittsburgh and Rodgers are unable to reach a new deal, the team could look toward Will Howard as a possible starter in 2026. For now, with Rodgers’ decision still pending, the situation remains wide open and full of uncertainty.
