New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers essentially gave up roughly $35 million to restructure his contract, which is not the sort of move most players would make.
Rodgers said, however, there was plenty of logic behind his decision. The quarterback told Peter King of NBC Sports that he wanted to demonstrate his commitment to the team and make it possible to add another key player if someone becomes available during the season.
“I thought it was important they knew how committed I was. And in my conversations with Joe (Douglas, Jets GM), he has made it very clear the vision for the football team,” Rodgers said. “You probably agree with this. This year, compared to like 2005, the amount of transactions that happen now with guys getting cut and the amount of trades — way more than before. Big names move at the trade deadline now. I wanted to make sure that if somebody valuable came available that we’d be able to get him. I’m very happy with the contract. I feel great about it.”
Rodgers is correct, as the likes of Christian McCaffrey moved in-season in recent years and made a big difference. Whether the Jets get in on that or not, they have the capability.
The veteran quarterback seems very happy with his situation with the Jets. For a guy who claims he was ready to retire before being traded, that is a pretty big shift.
