For quite some time, fans in Green Bay have speculated whether the Packer’s beloved QB would stay put or move on to ‘greener’ pastures. On March 8, it was announced that Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers had reached an agreement to keep him in Wisconsin for another year.
The announcement ends the discussion, at least for now, about whether back-up quarterback Jordan Love would take the storied reins of a franchise that has made it to the playoffs – and lost – three seasons in a row.
Rodgers has back-to-back MVP awards, for a total of four during his career, along with a Super Bowl victory back in 2011.
Rumors that the star QB was seeking an out in Green Bay peaked last offseason and remained intense throughout the 2021 season. Several teams, most notably the Denver Broncos, had expressed interest in retaining the 38-year old signal-caller before the announcement.
Rodgers joined the Packers in 2005 and has led the team into the playoffs 12 of those years. In five of those trips, the Packers made it to the NFC Conference Championship game. They triumphed in Super Bowl XLV, defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 at Cowboys Stadium before the venue was renamed AT&T Stadium the following year.
The deal was reported to net Rodgers about $200 million over 4 years, with $153 million in guaranteed money, making it the most valuable contract in NFL history. However, those figures may be no more than a rumor.
Rodgers posted on social media that the widely-reported terms of his contract are not accurate.
“Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year, however, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I ‘signed.’ I’m very excited to be back,” he posted. He did not specify what the actual terms of the agreement were.
Hey everyone, just wanted to clear some things up; YES I will be playing with the @packers next year, however, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I “signed”. I’m very excited to be back 💪🏼 #year18❤️
— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 8, 2022
Rodgers had expressed earlier in the season that one of the conditions for him to remain with the Packers was that wide receiver De’Vante Adams would be on the roster. The two have connected for a franchise-record 28 touchdowns in 2021. The Packers confirmed later on March 8 that it had placed a franchise tag on Adams.
The tag used on Adams limits the options available to the player but requires the two parties to complete a deal before the July 15 deadline.
Adams will account for $20.5 million next season, which accounts for a large chunk of the estimated $31 million the Packers are currently over. Should the team hold onto Adams after the deadline, the team will need to reduce the current roster by about $51 million to get below the $208.2 cap.
On March 7, the NFL announced to teams that the franchise tag amount for wide receivers would be $18.42 million. However, NFL rules require that players are paid the cap figure or 120% of their previous season’s cap. That figure is the $20.5 million minimum Adams would expect for a one-year deal.
According to several reports, Adams is looking to become the NFL’s highest-paid receiver, a stat that belongs to either DeAndre Hopkins with the Arizona Cardinals or to Amari Cooper in Dallas, who is also facing the possibility of a trade or release this offseason.
