Aaron Rodgers has made it clear this offseason that he is not looking for a contract extension from the Green Bay Packers. If that’s all he wanted, the star quarterback probably would have shown up to work a long time ago. What Rodgers really wants, according to one report, is a contract reduction.
Rodgers has three years remaining on the four-year, $134 million extension he signed with Green Bay back in 2018. It’s obvious he wants the Packers to trade him, but Matt Lombardo of Fansided was told by multiple sources that Rodgers at least wants out of his contract sooner if that is not going to happen.
One NFC executive told Lombardo that Rodgers wants his deal restructured in a way that will allow him to do what Tom Brady has done on the tail end of his career.
“He wants to get some sort of deal done,” the exec said. “But, he wants years off his deal, so he can pull a Tom Brady and be the next guy to try to go elsewhere to win a championship.”
The chances of Rodgers smoothing things over with Green Bay’s brass seem slim. There is also very little chance he will sit out the entire 2021 season, which is why an agreement between the two sides to spend one more year together makes the most sense.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently predicted that the Packers will have to restructure Rodgers’ contract in a way that assures he will not remain with the team in 2022. That type of arrangement might work for both sides, as it would allow Green Bay to chase one more Super Bowl with Rodgers before turning things over to Jordan Love.
The Packers may be able to convince Rodgers to stay for one more season, but that will likely be it unless something drastically changes. Even his soon-to-be mother-in-law hinted this week that the issues between Rodgers and the team may not be fixable.
