Aaron Rodgers is currently a fabulous bargain for the Green Bay Packers, set to make around $20 million the next two years barring a contract extension.
Given the fact that Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the league, this isn’t going to fly for long. In fact, Rodgers himself admitted that he’s not ruling out the possibility he might end up having to finish his career wearing another uniform.
But according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who spoke about this on Sunday morning, a deal is being worked on that would make Rodgers the highest-paid NFL quarterback.
ESPN's Adam Shefter just said the #Packers and Aaron Rodgers have had some discussions on a contract extension that would make him the highest paid QB, but a deal is far off. Said if a deal gets done, it'll get done shortly before the season.
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) February 4, 2018
As Schefter noted, this deal is not close to being done. But Green Bay has to make this happen. The Packers have nobody behind Rodgers waiting in the wings to take over for him once he’s gone, and it’s not like any old free agent could come in and will this team to the playoffs like Rodgers has for so many years.
if Rodgers ends up playing out his 2018 season making significantly less than the likes of Derek Carr, Matthew Stafford and others — good quarterbacks, but nowhere near Rodgers’ league — it will only become a distraction.