What Does Aaron Rodgers' $33.7 Million Pay Cut Tell Us?
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is taking a $33.7 million pay cut, so what does that mean?
Two things should be gleaned from the new, two-year, $75 million, guaranteed contract that the former Cal star agreed to this week. (His previous deal, signed while with the Packers, had nearly $110 million guaranteed remaining):
--- Rodgers is doing what he can to help the Jets win now.
He is following the tried-and-true formula Tom Brady used while racking up seven Super Bowl victories. Despite being considered the best quarterback in history, Brady was never close to being the NFL’s highest-paid player, often restructuring his contract to take less money, so his team could afford to bring in important player pieces that would bolster the team’s chances for success.
The Jets now have a little more ability to do just that.
Free-agent running back Dalvin Cook reportedly is visiting the Jets this week, and he has been quoted as saying the odds are “pretty high” that he will sign with the Jets.
"Like you said, A-Rod. It's a unique situation because I think they're building something special over there," Cook said, according to NFL.com. "When you look at it, you always want to be around a great QB, you always want to be around somebody you can pick his brain and just learn from. A-Rod is a four-time MVP. So, just being around a guy like that you can learn a lot more and just develop as a player. That's what I'm looking to do."
Cook has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the past four seasons, rushing for more than 1,100 yards in each of those seasons and catching 160 passes in that four-year span.
Not only does Rodgers’ pay cut indicate he is doing what he can to produce a winner in New York, it shows his teammates he is willing to make sacrifices to that end. And having the trust of your teammates is crucial for a quarterback.
Even though it was assumed ever since he was traded to the Jets that Rodgers would restructure his contract, seeing in dollars and cents the financial sacrifice Rodgers is making has an impact.
--- Rodgers’ new contract expires after the 2024 season, implying that Rodgers plans to play at least one more season after this one.
He said as much on Wednesday.
"The team gave up significant pieces for it to just be a one-year deal," Rodgers said "I'm aware of that. Anything could happen with my body or the success we have this year, but I'm having a blast, so I really don't see this as a one-year-and-done thing."
There is no downside to making that statement. If he has a second straight mediocre season in 2023, Rodgers could change his mind and retire after this season, and that could be an offseason topic again. Afterall, Rodgers turns 40 years old in December.
However, the contract and the statement clear away talk – at least temporarily – that he will be a one-and-done quarterback with the Jets.
Whether Rodgers’ new contract takes a little pressure off him is debatable.
An assessment of Rodgers’ pay cut, along with Rodgers’ comments:
Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Vincent Carchietta, USA TODAY Sports
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