The Green Bay Packers seemed like they were laying the groundwork to move on from Aaron Rodgers when they drafted Jordan Love two years ago, but they are now willing to go to great lengths to get their MVP to stick with them.
The Packers are prepared to potentially sacrifice their long-term future in order to keep Rodgers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. They’re reportedly making it known to Rodgers that they plan to spend to the salary cap and do whatever it takes to remain in championship contention as long as he’s with the team.
Packers are prepared to go all in for Aaron Rodgers in 2022, spending as close to the cap this year and spreading it into future years as much as possible, per sources. Saints used this approach for Drew Brees and Green Bay willing to deploy that model to further entice Rogers.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 13, 2022
As Schefter noted, the New Orleans Saints took that approach with Drew Brees. They punted their salary cap issues down the road in order to keep as strong of a roster as possible in place around Brees. The result is that they are expected to be roughly $75 million over the salary cap in 2022, according to Spotrac’s latest numbers. Green Bay is in a similar boat with Rodgers carrying a cap hit of $46 million next season, though his current contract will be re-worked if he decides to remain with the Packers.
That all meshes with what Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Sunday, which is that the Packers are prepared to make Rodgers the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL in terms of annual salary.
Rodgers has not ruled out retirement. He also has left open the possibility of asking for a trade, but that is seeming less likely by the day. The 38-year-old may have dropped a strong hint about his future while accepting his MVP award on Thursday.
Photo: Oct 28, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) reacts against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
