Aaron Rodgers sent Green Bay Packers fans into a frenzy at the conclusion of last season when he indicated his future with the franchise is uncertain, and it is fair to wonder if the star quarterback still feels that way.
Rodgers and the Packers have not yet worked out a contract extension. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported on Tuesday that the team paid Rodgers his $6.8 million roster bonus last week rather than convert it to a signing bonus, which would have freed up $4.5 million in salary cap space this year. That money would have been pushed to 2022 and 2023, which may be why Green Bay preferred to just pay it now.
That may also say something about how long the Packers plan to keep Rodgers. While it is still possible that the two sides will work out an extension, Green Bay’s perceived hesitance to avoid paying dead cap money down the road if they move on from Rodgers is noteworthy.
Sources told Demovsky that Rodgers wants assurances from the Packers that he will not enter the 2021 season as a “lame duck.” That could be accomplished by converting some or most of his $14.7 million base salary for next season into a signing bonus, which would free up salary cap space for 2021 but increase Rodgers’ dead cap hit for 2022.
If the Packers would rather just leave things as is, that could be an indication that they are thinking about turning to Jordan Love sooner rather than later. Rodgers is 37 and had one of his best seasons last year, but we all remember when Green Bay moved on from Brett Favre in favor of him. Could the same happen with Rodgers and Love?
A separate report this week indicated that the Packers are treading lightly in negotiations with Rodgers. That makes sense given the comments he made after Green Bay’s loss in the NFC Championship Game, which you can read here.
In all likelihood, Rodgers wants the Packers to prove they are doing everything they can to win with him now. Showing that level of commitment while trying to stay out of salary cap jail in future seasons can be a difficult balance.
