A resolution to Aaron Rodgers‘ financial future has arrived. The Jets signed their new franchise quarterback to a two-year contract worth $75MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). 
Rodgers was already under contract through 2024, but his decision to push a fully-guaranteed roster bonus to next season as part of his blockbuster move to New York left the team with an enormous bill of $107.55MM for next year. The four-time MVP was due nearly $110MM guaranteed prior to today’s news, meaning he took a pay cut which will benefit the Jets.
Pelissero adds that the new contract is technically five years in length, with option years being added to help spread out the bonus payments included. Rodgers’ cap hit will sit just under $9MM this season, and he will receive a $35MM roster bonus next week, while drawing a base salary of over $38MM in 2024. The deal includes no-tag and no-trade clauses (Twitter links). ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the pact also includes a non-guaranteed $37.5MM in 2025, while adding that Rodgers’ 2024 cap hit will check in at $17.1MM.
Not long after the trade which ended his Packers career, it was confirmed a new Rodgers deal was being worked on by the Jets. Progress on that front came slowly, but it was learned recently that the revised pact had been worked out. Mike Florio of Pro Footbal Talk was the first to report that terms had been agreed to, and both sides can now move forward with more clarity regarding the immediate future.
Given the unique contract situation he was in upon arrival in New York, the 39-year-old Rodgers faced questions about how willing he would be to play more than one season as a Jet. He stated last month that, while the team’s success and his health status will be key determining factors in his decisions, he intends to play at least the next two campaigns in New York. That should give the win-now franchise multiple attempts to find success in a crowded division and conference at the twilight of the future Hall of Famer’s career.
Eight quarterback deals (including last night’s Justin Herbert mega-extension with the Chargers) include more than $75MM in total guarantees, but prior to this agreement, only Deshaun Watson‘s was guaranteed in full. Rodgers will thus add considerably to his career earnings while providing the Jets with cap flexibility to help manage a roster which faces substantial expectations for the next two seasons.
I may have read that wrong, but that appears to be a $35 million pay cut. That’s quite substantial, if so.
I doubt that changes peoples’ opinions of him, but still. It should help in free agency, but it’d be good to see how it’s spread before determining that.
Yes, this report is pretty confusing. It would mean Rodgers took a huge paycut (as all that Packer money was guaranteed) to play a couple of years in New York. My opinion of this deal from the perspective of New York will take a turn for the better, if it’s true.
I’m a Rodgers fan (greatest QB I’ve ever seen play, though Joe Montana was close) but NY overpaid at both the draft compensation and the financial package. If the financial side isn’t such a disaster, it appears there was method to the madness.
Begrudgingly agree…
Might want to check super bowl resumes. Montana cleans Rodgers clock.
“Seen play” does not equal “Superbowl victories.”
He implied he saw both play, maybe if he was judging them by the one game he saw them play it would make sense, but the original Joe cool would absolutely destroy Rodgers.
Montana often got bailed out by Rice
Juanc, how many HOFers did Montana play with vs Rodgers?
I put Montana ahead because of his post season success, but let’s not pretend Montana didn’t have more talent.
Greatest REGULAR season QB of all time. Jets still won’t win a SB with him
Dak? Rodgers has a ring.
Rodgers had a top 5 defense in GB only once – the year they won the SB.
“the new contract is technically five years in length, with option years being added to help spread out the bonus payments included.”
Is there a limit to the number of ‘fake’ years you can add to a contract? If not, why not add 10-15 years and really spread it out? It would be like deferred contracts in baseball.
Because they’re already (still) paying Bobby Bonilla $19 mil a year until 2074. And also used the stretch provision on a Legends contract for Patrick Ewing totaling $163 million.
Contrary to your joke, deferred contracts are good business and have been around since the late 1970s.
Bonilla gets $1.19 million per year…
And only until 2035, but why let actual facts get in the way…
I’ll try and do better when I make up completely false stuff from now on.
I believe the limit is 3 years which is pretty much the standard.
He didn’t give any money up. He just spread out longer and im sure he will be making interest on the money that he spread out. He cares only about himself. He is going to fall flat on his face and New York will end up giving the first overall pick to the Packers and if he decides to sit so that doesn’t happen because he can’t win I hope we sue the hell out of them for it. Guy wants to take credit when he wins and when he loses its everybody else fault. Yup you guessed it I don’t like him because he is classless.
We? Who are you to have standing to sue him?
He could be a Packer shareholder. They actually do have some fan ownership. Idk how they are broken up, but there are like half a million shareholders of the club floating around. Probably isn’t. But he could be.
Packer shareholders mean they bought a very expensive certificate that means absolutely nothing in the business sense of ownership.
It would be fascinating for one team owner to sue another team, or even a player on another team, for tanking. It likely wouldn’t work’ but if it did, Green Bay would find the league suddenly changing the rules about ownership structure.
You might be the dumbest poster on this board
This comment makes no sense. He did, in fact, leave money on the table. If you read the article, you would notice all the money after 2024 is non-guaranteed.
Super Bowl, here we come!
Yeah, I really hate to see Rodgers taking a pay cut. Perhaps I can convince some Bears fans to start a GOFUNDME campaign to help the poor guy make ends meet.
Very low cap numbers for a QB of his caliber. Thought the trade was too expensive. this balances it out
Haters really gonna hate on Rodgers reworking his deal to accommodate the team. Justin Herbert just got the bag after blowing a 27 point lead. Let’s go let’s get it baby!