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The Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have reportedly come to an agreement that keeps the future Hall of Famer with the franchise possibly for the rest of his career. The extension is supposedly for four-years, worth $200 million. That makes each season worth $50 million, which would make this contract the most lucrative by season in NFL history. It cannot be made official until the new year officially begins on March 16th. The previous mark was set by Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes at $45 million per season when he signed a 10-year extension for $450 million.
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When the Packers' season ended, Rodgers stated that his decision on whether or not he returns to Green Bay will not take long. That ended up being far from the truth. That got me wondering, maybe Rodgers has been playing an angle this whole time.
Was Aaron Rodgers Playing the Packers Like A Fiddle?
The initial fallout between Rodgers and the Packers organization likely began when they fired head coach Mike McCarthy. If that wasn't it, it certainly was later when they drafted Jordan Love with their first-round pick. Green Bay was coming off an NFC Championship loss to the San Francisco 49ers. But they were right there. They were one game away from the Super Bowl. It stands to reason you fill a hole or two and maybe you are playing for a championship.
Instead, they traded up to draft a franchise quarterback, viewed as his replacement. I can understand why Rodgers would feel slighted. In his first time speaking to the media after the draft, he expressed that frustration, as noted by Sporting News.
“I think the general reaction at first was surprise, like many people,” Rodgers said. “Obviously I’m not going to say that I was, you know, thrilled by the pick necessarily, but the organization is thinking not only about the present but about the future.”
The talk of his potential retirement then began. Rodgers openly discussed his mortality in the sport and understanding the business side of things.
But he once again came into the season playing razor-sharp in 2020. Rodgers and head coach Matt LaFleur appeared to be on the same page after some ruffled feathers early.
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers referred to his relationship with HC Matt LaFleur as "hashtag friend goals."
— Olivia Reiner (@ReinerOlivia) September 9, 2020
Rodgers would have an outstanding season for Green Bay, winning league MVP and earning his first home NFC Championship Game. Sadly, it had the same outcome as previous title games. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers beat Rodgers and the Packers, sending everything into a frenzy.
AARON RODGERS HOSTS JEOPARDY, PONDERS FUTURE
Rodgers said after the loss “A lot of guys' futures, they're uncertain. Myself included.”
During the offseason, he hosted Jeopardy and openly talked about maybe hanging it up to be a permanent host. After all, he had already won a Super Bowl and built a Hall of Fame resume. So, walking away didn't seem that far-fetched.
Aaron Rodgers after the game: “A lot of guys futures, they’re uncertain, myself included. … Just gonna have to take some time away and clear my head and kind of see what's going on with everything." pic.twitter.com/3GlzPU9EsZ
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) January 25, 2021
Rodgers already had the leverage, as he had just won the league MVP. He then theoretically uses that leverage while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show over and over. He laments over the loss and his future with the team.
But I don't believe he had any intention of walking away that offseason. It was all fodder.
Once again, he is razor-sharp on the field. Rodgers has another stellar season and wins back-to-back NFL MVP awards. During the season, he was handed even more leverage when Jordan Love made a fill-in start for Rodgers. Rodgers was forced to miss a game due to COVID-19 protocols once it came out that he was not actually vaccinated like he had led many to believe.
Love fell flat on his face in that one start. The Packers' offense barely moved the ball against an average Chiefs defense and Green Bay lost. Love's value plummeted, as did the Packers' chances of negotiating with Rodgers.
Unfortunately, the season ended in an all-too-familiar way, at home in the playoffs. This time it was in the divisional round to the sixth seed 49ers. The talk of Rodgers wanting to be traded hit an all-time high. But now that the Packers are aware that they did not draft the future quarterback. Their only chances of winning are right in front of them.
All of this culminates in the Packers giving Rodgers the biggest per-season deal in NFL history. Of course, this is all just a possibility. Knowing how crafty and precise Rodgers is though, it's not out of the realm of said possibility.
