iDec 19, 2020; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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As the Green Bay Packers prepare for training camp, star quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ future in Wisconsin remains in flux.
Rodgers remained away from offseason activities during the spring and winter after a trade demand became public record back in April. Since then, there’s been a ton of back-and-forth between the reigning NFL MVP and the embattled Packers’ organization.
Fresh off reports that the 37-year-old Rodgers had turned down an extension offer that would have made him the highest-paid player in NFL history, we’re now starting to hear more on the financial front.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, teams interested in Rodgers’ services believe that he wants $45 million annually over the next two years, fully guaranteed.
“Per a league source, it’s believed by at least one team that has (or had) interest in Rodgers that he wants $90 million guaranteed over two years,” Florio reported. “That would get him to the Patrick Mahomes $45 million high-water mark. With the $45 million average applying to only the first two years and with all of it guaranteed, the structure necessary to pay that kind of money would as a practical matter tie Green Bay’s hands through 2022 and potentially into 2023.”
The most-notable aspect of this report relating to Aaron Rodgers is the fact that it would tie him to the Packers for at least the next two years. That’s something Green Bay has in the past pushed back against after trading up for fellow quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Green Bay’s offer to make Rodgers the highest-paid player in NFL history has to come with a bit of a caveat. It’s all about contract structure. Said offer was reportedly for five years, taking into account the remainder of his current deal with the Packers. How much of that would have been guaranteed remains to be seen.
By demanding a two-year deal at $90 million with it all fully guaranteed, Rodgers is making it clear that money is in fact a part of the issue he’s having with Green Bay.
Rodgers’ current four-year, $134 million deal is set to pay him a base salary of $14.7 million in 2022. That number goes up to $25 million each of the next two seasons. As for the Packers’ cap situation, they can save north of $22 million by trading Rodgers after the 2021 season. It’s this type of flexibility embattled general manager Brian Gutekunst wants. Agreeing to the terms of Rodgers’ latest demand would not give him that flexibility.
Late last week, it was reported that star receiver Davante Adams’ contract extension talk with the Packers broke down. The two are said to be at a bad place with training camp getting going. For his part, Adams will be a free agent following the 2021 season and wants to be among the highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL.
The backdrop here is both Rodgers and Adams taking to social media with cryptic “last dance” postings, depicting the Chicago Bulls’ final run in the 1990’s. It’s clear that the two don’t believe they will be in Green Bay over the long haul.
Expect this to be a major storyline around Green Bay and the rest of the NFL as the summer continues and Week 1 quickly approaches.