The Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers have made “noticeable progress” during their negotiations for a long-term extension, and Green Bay reportedly is optimistic that Rodgers will have a new deal in place by the time the 2018 regular season gets underway, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).

Green Bay has apparently been setting Week 1 as a potential deadline for Rodgers talks for awhile, as previous reports have also indicated a similar timeline. But Rapoport’s signal of progress is certainly an improvement over recent reports — such as the one issued by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk in late July — which said Rodgers and the Packers were still far apart in negotiations.

Any stalls in talks can likely be blamed on the structure of the pact, as Rodgers is believed to prefer a contract that doesn’t lock him into a number long-term. The two-time MVP would like more control over his future and may prefer a deal that includes one big payout before a series of player options. The Packers, however, are attempting to lock up Rodgers via a “bland and traditional” long-term extension.

“As far as setting a trend or breaking down things, it’s great for the game and its players, for sure, when Kirk (Cousins) does a deal like he did,” Rodgers recently said of Cousins’ fully guaranteed Vikings deal. “The reality is, there’s not many teams that would do that, first of all. And there aren’t many teams that would do it for more than three years. So at some point, there are going to be contracts that will continue to extend that, and there’s been guys who’ve done it over the years, who’ve done monumental things, whether it’s Reggie White in free agency, that make a difference for the next generation. That’s something you can have as part of your legacy.”

Rodgers, 34, is currently signed through the 2019 season, with cap charges north of $20MM in each of the next two campaigns. On an annual average basis, though, Rodgers’ $22MM/year now ranks just 10th among quarterbacks, behind the likes of Joe Flacco, Alex Smith, and Derek Carr, among others.

Although the Packers and Aaron Rodgers did not come to terms on an extension agreement by the outset of training camp, neither side viewed that as a key deadline, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). However, optimism exists in Green Bay about this deal being completed before the regular season and perhaps by the middle of camp, per Rapoport.

Rodgers is still believed to prefer a contract that doesn’t lock him into a number long-term, but the Packers are approaching the negotiations that way, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports. The two-time MVP would like more control over his future and may prefer a deal that includes one big payout before a series of player options.

Florio, though, notes the Packers are trying to get Rodgers locked down via “bland and traditional” long-term extension. It’s hard to blame the team for this, since that’s pretty much how NFL contracts work, but the disparity regarding the parties’ preferences on contract structure is halting these talks’ progress.

Rodgers obviously saw how outdated his $22MM-per-year extension, which was a record when he signed it in April 2013, became. A contract that doesn’t tie Rodgers to the Packers for a substantial number of years would help prevent this from happening again.

A holdout won’t be in the cards for Rodgers, though Florio argues that should be a tactic he considers due to his value to the franchise. The ability chasm between backups DeShone Kizer and Brett Hundley and Rodgers is obviously gargantuan.

In a sign that perhaps Rodgers could win out, Rapoport does not expect the 34-year-old quarterback’s next Packers deal to look like Matt Ryan‘s Falcons pact — a five-year, $150MM deal which currently leads the quarterback pack. Rodgers has two years left on his deal, but given his importance to the franchise, it’s obvious he has plenty of leverage here as well.

It doesn’t sound like a new deal between Packers and Aaron Rodgers is imminent. No meaningful progress has been made recently on a contract extension and nothing will happen right away, barring a dramatic change, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT.

[RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Wants To Play Until He’s 40]

Rodgers is averaging about $22MM/year on his current deal and will average $19.9MM in the final two years of the pact. Those numbers are well below market for a quarterback of his caliber, but Rodgers also isn’t publicly making a big fuss over his next deal. Behind the scenes, it’s likely that Rodgers has pushed for a unique deal to highlight his unique talent level.

“It’s only been on my mind because … people have been writing and talking about it a lot,” Rodgers said recently when asked about the possibility of a non-traditional contract extension. “There have been many conversations about it. I think that there’s some merit to looking into where you do a non-traditional contractual agreement. If anybody at this point is gonna be able to do something like that, I think there needs to be a conversation about it. I never said anything about [tying the contract to] the cap. I just think there’s ways to do contracts where you can still be competitive so the team is happy about it, but have some more freedom.”

The Packers, meanwhile, have lots of leverage here. After paying him $39.8MM over the next two seasons, the Packers can franchise tag him in 2021. After that, they can franchise tag him once again for 2022, if they’re willing to give him a 20% pay bump over the ’21 tender. Assuming a rate of $27MM in ’21, that comes out an average of less than $25MM/year for the next four seasons. It’s not clear what the Packers would want in return for surrendering that option, especially since it would keep Rodgers in place through his age-38 season.

Aaron Rodgers turns 35 in December, but retirement doesn’t appear to be anywhere on his radar. The Packers quarterback says he wants to play until he’s 40 (via Peter King of NBC Sports). 

“I’d love to play to 40,” Rodgers said. “I just think that number means a lot. Obviously, [Tom] Brady is kind of rewriting the book. Brett [Favre] had a good season when he turned 40. My goal is be able to move like I do or close to how I do and still be able to do that at 40 … just because nobody’s been able to do that and still move around the same. Steve Young’s career was cut short in his late thirties. John [Elway], the same—he didn’t really move the same as when he was younger. So to be able to move the same way at 38, 39, 40 would be cool. That’s my aim.”

Rodgers has had setbacks, including two clavicle injuries in the last five years that have cost him a combined 16 games. Some may say that Rodgers has to adjust his game and get rid of the ball sooner, but the QB doesn’t agree. He says he’ll look to play for several more seasons while occasionally taking big hits when necessary.

Rodgers also reiterated his desire to finish his career as a member of the Packers, though he indicated that his next deal might break the mold.

“It’s only been on my mind because … people have been writing and talking about it a lot,” he said when asked about the possibility of a unique contract extension. “There have been many conversations about it. I think that there’s some merit to looking into where you do a non-traditional contractual agreement. If anybody at this point is gonna be able to do something like that, I think there needs to be a conversation about it. I never said anything about [tying the contract to] the cap. I just think there’s ways to do contracts where you can still be competitive so the team is happy about it, but have some more freedom.”

Rodgers recently said that reports of him seeking out-clauses and options on his contract to stay in control of his deal are just “conjecture,” but the QB appears to have confirmed that talk in his chat with King.

Could an Aaron Rodgers extension be on the horizon? That’s what Packers president Mark Murphy seemed to be insinuating when asked about the progress of the negotiations. Murphy told WTMJ.com that the Packers “hope to soon have a contract extension” for Rodgers (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com).

Rodgers is set to earn $22MM next season, but the quarterback market has already been reset due to recent deals signed by Kirk Cousins and Matt Ryan. The Packers signal-caller will trail other quarterbacks by around $8MM, meaning he’ll surely be in line for a sizable pay increase. However, as Florio points out, Rodgers is realistically four years away from hitting the open market. The 34-year-old has two years left on his contract, and it makes sense to apply the franchise tag for a player of his caliber for the two years after that.

Besides a pay increase, we also recently heard that Rodgers could be seeking options and out-clauses in his next contract. However, the quarterback quickly rejected those rumors, citing the slow offseason as a reason for the false claims. There were also whispers that the franchise quarterback was frustrated that the organization didn’t talk to him before releasing wideout Jordy Nelson and parting ways with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt. It was said that the relationship “isn’t in total disrepair,” although there was clear tension between the two sides.

Rodgers was limited to only seven games last season after suffering a fractured right collarbone in mid-October. While his team went 4-3 in his seven starts, he still managed to put up solid numbers. Rodgers ultimately finished the campaign having completed 64.7-percent of his passes for 1,675 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions.