Aaron Rodgers is in no rush to earn his money. He seems unconcerned with the news that the rival Lions have signed Matthew Stafford to a massive extension. He already has a blockbuster, ground-breaking $100+ million contract under his belt to go along with his 2 regular season MVP’s and 1 Super Bowl MVP. Ever since Rodgers joined the Green Bay Packers, he has set them on a path towards regular greatness. The Packers have enjoyed success for every year he’s been on the field, towering over their rivals in the NFC North division.
What's Next For Aaron Rodgers?
It’s not over, yet. At 33, Rodgers still has 5+ years of prime football to play. The Packers quarterback has remained untouched by time, thus far, even leading the league in passing touchdowns last year after a brief slump. His team shocked everyone by making it to the NFC Championship Game and the future appears even brighter than it did for the 2016 season.
With winning another title as the primary goal, it is likely the Packers lock Rodgers up for life well before his current contract expires in 2020. At this point, the only variable is just how much the Wisconsin-based NFL team will pay their best starter. According to multiple sources, his annual salary will likely enter into the $30 million range for the first time in NFL history.
Matthew Stafford's Contract Sets the Tone for Future Negotiations
The salary cap in the NFL has been rising steadily for years, increasing salaries along the way. It seems like every year another star player is awarded the with the “biggest contract ever”. Recently, the mid-tier Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was given an extension that will award him a possible $151.5 million over five years.
He also received a $50 million signing bonus that is the richest ever given to a player—putting Joe Flacco’s $40 million to shame.
Critics were quick to question the move, Stafford has been an elite quarterback to be sure, but the money seems at odds with the middling success the Lions have experienced in the playoffs. With Stafford at quarterback, the Lions have yet to win a playoff game.
(It is only fair to state that the Lions have won just a single playoff game in 59 years with or without Stafford.) Even more damning is that the Lions have gone just 5-46 against winning teams during Stafford’s tenure.
It's a Quarterback's League
In a league that puts a premium on the quarterback position, Stafford’s new contract should not come as a surprise. Over the last 10 years, if you didn’t have a quarterback named Manning, Rodgers, Brady, Roethlisberger, Wilson, or Flacco—you didn’t have a chance. The same holds true today, meaning there is likely no limit to what quarterbacks like Rodgers are actually worth.
At the other end of the conversation are the Tom Brady’s of the world. Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots, has regularly captured headlines by taking massive pay cuts to give his team more room to make moves in the offseason.
It is uncertain whether Brady’s only peer, Aaron Rodgers, will take this path. It seems unlikely though, as the Packers are one of the most cautious teams in the NFL when it comes to paying free agents. Rodgers might be just as well off to take the money and play.
In a recent presser at Packers facilities, Rodgers stated, “That stuff usually takes care of itself, when it comes to setting the market values, I let that stuff take care of itself. I know my value in this league and I know the team appreciates me. I’m going to continue to make myself an indispensable part of this roster. When you do that, when your time comes up to get a contract, you usually get a contract extension."
The Packers, with Rodgers at the helm, open the 2017 NFL Season against the Seattle Seahawks in Green Bay on September 10th.
