Rodgers’ did not return to Green Bay last week came with a new four-year contract extension, making the back-to-back MVP the highest-paid player in the NFL on a per-year basis. Despite a week of intense negotiations on the structure, the contract will see Rodgers earning an average of $50 million annually over the first three years. The deal includes two placeholder years for cap flexibility, which could be renegotiated later.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst expressed his pleasure over the agreement, emphasizing Rodgers’ crucial role both on the field and in the locker room. He noted that the deal also allows the team to enhance their competitive roster.
Rodgers, who was originally set to earn a base salary of $26.47 million in 2022 with a cap hit of $46.664 million, will now earn $42 million in 2022, $59.515 million in 2023, and $49.3 million in 2024, reaching a three-year total of $150.815 million. This new arrangement lowers his 2022 cap hit to $28.5 million, freeing up approximately $18 million in cap space for the Packers to remain Super Bowl contenders.
In the past day, the Packers have made significant moves to get under the salary cap, extending Rodgers and Preston Smith while releasing Za’Darius Smith and Billy Turner, thereby clearing $45 million in cap space. This strategic move pushes Rodgers’ significant cap hits to the future, enabling the Packers to give Rodgers the raise he deserved and keep their NFC North championship roster mostly intact. The team will address the financial repercussions later, anticipating a significant increase in the salary cap.
