The last time Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed a contract extension came before the 2013 season, when he signed a deal that made him, at the time, the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Of course, that was four years ago, when the salary cap was only $123 million. Since then, the cap has shot up a total of $44 million to $167 million, which has led teams to throw money at unproven players.
For example, when Mike Glennon becomes a free agent on Thursday, he’s expected to command roughly $15 million per season on his next deal. If Glennon lands that kind of deal, that means he could be making about $1.35 million more than Rodgers will make in 2017, if the money is spread evenly through the course of the deal.
The subject of Glennon’s potential contract came up during a conversation with Rodgers on ESPN Wisconsin’s Wilde & Tausch on Wednesday, and here’s what Rodgers had to say on the subject. The Packers quarterback was asked if Glennon’s $15 million per year deal should “lead to discussions about his own contract.”
“I think it has to,” Rodgers said, via ESPN.com. “I think it has to.”
Host Jason Wilde then noted that Rodgers chuckled, before adding, “I don’t think I need to expand on that.”
That probably doesn’t mean that Packers general manager Ted Thompson needs to call Rodgers’ agent tomorrow, but it does mean that Thompson should be aware that his quarterback is underpaid. Rodgers cap hit of $20.3 million will be the seventh-highest among quarterbacks in 2017. Rodgers would probably like that number to be closer to the top three.
If Rodgers is smart, he’ll wait to see how the contract extensions shake out for guys like Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan and Derek Carr. All three of those quarterback will likely get a huge extension soon, and then Rodgers can use their deals as a floor for his negotiations.
On the other hand, maybe Rodgers doesn’t want any more money at all. Here was his take on his interview:
Actually, I said 4 words. And was referring to comparing contracts between players that play the same position. #fakenews https://t.co/ZI1Okps8IT
— Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) March 8, 2017
He loves that #FakeNews hashtag. Of course, the last time he used that hashtag, it was actually real news, so who knows what to believe anymore.
Former agent Joel Corry, who now writes for CBS Sports, says that Rodgers should begin to look for an extension after the 2017 season.
Anyway, the bottom line here is that whether he wants that contract now or he’s willing to wait, there’s going to be a new deal at some point. The five-year, $110 million extension Rodgers signed in 2013 expires after the 2019 season, and from the sound of it, the Packers quarterback plans to still be playing when that happens.
“I still feel like I’ve got a lot of great football in front of me,” Rodgers said, via ESPN.com. “And the way that I’ve taken care of myself better the last few years, I think is going to put me in position to be able to play really well late in my 30s and even in my early 40s possibly if they’d like to keep me around that long and I can still play a little bit.”
If Rodgers can play until he’s 40, that means the Packers would have him through the 2023 season.
