GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Aaron Rodgers has put pen to paper signing his latest and likely his last contract with the Green Bay Packers. Multiple reports say it’s a five year deal worth 186 million dollars with 150 million dollars guaranteed over the first three years.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Rodgers will make 41 million dollars in 2022, 59 million next year and 49 million in 2023. The final two years may be voidable for the Packers. The reigning two time NFL Most Valuable Player is once again the league’s highest paid player. Most of the money will be paid out as option bonuses giving the Packers the much needed salary cap relief. Rodgers had a cap hit of more than 46 million going into this season but that’s been reduced to about 28 million. That savings will bring Green Bay very close to the 2022 league imposed salary cap limit of 208.2 million dollars.
Even with the salary cap expected to rise significantly beginning in 2023 when record shattering broadcast and delivery rights fees take effect, the Packers reportedly will be on the hook for 75 million dollars in dead cap money at the end of the Rodgers deal. That will almost certainly force the organization to start from scratch in rebuilding with a young, inexpensive roster.
The new contract ends two years of handwringing between the two sides. Following two injury plagued seasons in 2017 and 2018 which ended the Mike McCarthy run as Head Coach, Rodgers and new coach Matt LaFleur put together a 13-3 season in 2019 but the following spring, they traded up to select Jordan Love in the first round of the draft, setting in motion a succession plan for the then, 36 year old quarterback.
After the 2020 season which resulted in Rodgers winning his third MVP award, he made it known his unhappiness with the organization, even telling some in his circle he would never play for the team again. That stance softened after he stayed away all off-season, returning just as training camp opened. The team agreed to void the final year of 2023 in his existing deal and appeased his request to bring back veteran receiver Randall Cobb. A second straight MVP season followed along with a second straight loss in the NFC Championship game at home.
Rodgers told the organization he would make a decision on his future quickly in the off-season and he did, announcing his plan to return just over a week ago but the state of the team’s salary cap situation dictated creative negotiations.
Restructuring several other veteran contracts and releasing high priced veterans like Za’Darius Smith and Billy Turner on Monday allowed the financial pieces to fall into place to get this new deal done.
