Rodgers’ deal includes $150M over first 3 years
A week after announcing his return to the Packers, QB Aaron Rodgers signs a new deal that includes about $150 million…
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will make about $150 million in guaranteed money over the first three years of his new deal with the Green Bay Packers, according to a copy of the contract obtained by ESPN.
Rodgers, 38, signed the deal Tuesday after announcing last week, amid widespread speculation about his future, that he would return to the Packers.
The reigning two-time league MVP will make just under $41 million in 2022, $59 million in 2023 and $49 million in 2024.
Due to the allocation of bonus money in the first year of the deal, the Packers will actually save close to $18 million against their salary cap for 2022.
The Packers will pay Rodgers primarily in the form of option bonuses in 2023 ($58.3 million) and 2024 ($47 million), allowing the team to defer salary-cap hits into later years when the overall cap number is expected to increase.
Rodgers already was under contract with the Packers for 2022.
General manager Brian Gutekunst’s decision to draft Jordan Love in 2020 put Rodgers’ future with the team into question. Shortly after the Packers picked Love, Rodgers reiterated his desire to not only play into his 40s but to do it with the Packers. However, he said he realized that “may not be a reality at this point” and added, “I’m just not sure how that all works together at this point.”
Rodgers called his future a “beautiful mystery” late in the 2020 season and shortly after the NFC Championship Game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers included himself in a group of players with uncertain futures.
What followed was an offseason-long boycott — he missed workouts, organized team activities and minicamp — during which ESPN reported that Rodgers was so disgruntled with the Packers that he told some in the organization that he would never play for them again.
Upon his return to the team on the eve of training camp, Rodgers signed a restructured contract that eliminated the last year of his deal, for the 2023 season, making it easier for a divorce after the 2021 season.
Rodgers then broke Brett Favre’s franchise record of 442 career touchdown passes last season, finishing the season with 449. Rodgers now has a chance to break several of Favre’s other records, including career passing yards.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky contributed to this report.
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