What Packers Didn’t Do Causes Speculation on Ex-Cal Star Aaron Rodgers

The financial ramifications of each move or non-move suggests something about Rodgers' future

Former Cal star Aaron Rodgers and his long-term status with the Green Bay Packers became a media subject again this week amid a mind-numbing series of numbers that have various implications.

The issue of Rodgers' status with the Packers arose during Rodgers' ambiguous postgame quotes following the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rodgers, who won his third NFL MVP in 2020 but will turn 38 next December, suggested he was unsure of his future with the Packers.

Then there was talk about Rodgers' contract being restructured to allow the Packers to add some free agents that might improve their Super Bowl chances in Rodgers' remaining years.  Lingering in the background was the fact that Green Bay had drafted a quarterback (Jordan Love) in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.

The first hint of the Packers' intentions came late last week when the team did not change his roster bonus to a signing bonus. The non-move was significant for the various implications it had -- specifically about the Packers possibly wanting to keep their options open regarding Rodgers' status after the 2021 season.

Here is what ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported on Monday, if you want to try to follow along:

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Packers did not alter Aaron Rodgers' contract this past Friday, a source told ESPN, and they paid his $6.8 million roster bonus as is rather than converting it into a signing bonus, which would have freed up more than $4.5 million in salary-cap space for this season.

However, they would have pushed that money to future caps, therefore increasing what Rodgers would count as on their 2022 and 2023 years.

There had been questions about whether the Packers had paid the roster bonus or agreed to push it back as part of a restructure or extension negotiations.

But here is the key phrase from Demovsky's report:

It's a sign that perhaps the Packers don't want to count any more dead money than they already would have to if they moved on from their three-time MVP quarterback after this season.

Hmm.

Rodgers' contract runs through the 2023 season, but he reportedly wants some kind of contractual assurance that he is in the Packers' plans after the 2021 season. In other words, he doesn't want 2021 to be a lame-duck season, and wants a modification in his contract to show that he will be Green Bay's quarterback in 2022 and beyond.

As it stands now, without the restructuring, the possibility remains that Rodgers could be traded after the 2021 season if the Packers are ready to transition to Love.

Mike Silver, a columnist for NFL.com and an NFL Network contributor, is a Cal graduate who generally has a good handle on what Rodgers is doing and states his case in the video below:

The @packers are trying to negotiate a restructured contract with Aaron Rodgers that could free up cap space... the deal (if it happens) might also inform us about how they view his future in Green Bay. @nflnetwork @PatrickClaybon pic.twitter.com/pmfnuS0twp

— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 22, 2021

He calls the the Packers' actions "perplexing" and points out the implications of any kind of move the Packers make regarding Rodgers' contract.

If you get bogged down with all the numbers and what they suggest, just listen to Silver's video to get a rough idea of what might happen with Rodgers.

Here are two more reports on the issue you may want to read: one from SI.com and one from Yardbarker

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Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Mike De Sisti / The Milwaukee Jo via Imagn Content Services, LLC.

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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