Aaron Rogers is staying in Green Bay. Image: Getty Images
Aaron Rodgers’ giant four-year, $200 million contract, reported by the NFL Network, which will apparently keep him happy in Green Bay for four more seasons, is the type of contract that can be called infectious.
Four years and $200 million is a deal that will change the market, and we know what will happen if one of them falls through. Pretty soon, every All-Pro or semi-elite quarterback in the league will be looking for a similar deal. The most painful part of Rodgers’ deal is the guaranteed $153 million for the 38-year-old quarterback.
To make things even crazier, moments after the news that Rodgers had stayed in Green Bay, the news broke that the Seattle Seahawks had traded Russell Wilson to the Broncos.
Coincidence?
Rogers’ return to Green Bay for a royal ransom is the culmination of a 360-degree turn after being “cancelled” by a fictional wake-up crowd.
Rogers loves numbers. Unlike Ben Roethlisberger’s obsession with calories or Tom Brady’s preoccupation with PSI levels. Rogers spent his last year pursuing pseudoscience that would explain why his homeopathic therapy (remember “vaccinated”?) was more effective than scientifically proven vaccines, preventing death from a deadly virus by 90 percent. Curious position for a guy who only got 75 percent of a guaranteed contract. Especially since northern NFC vassal Kirk Cousins signed a fully guaranteed contract in 2018.
Rogers’ new contract appears to make up for the massive financial loss he suffered by losing a solid deal with Prevea Health, a Green Bay healthcare provider. Rogers gets irritated so easily that he will complain about the $47 million left in the air by next spring, or use it as motivation. A key component of Rogers’ personality is that when he feels disrespected, he raises his game. He’s been that way ever since he was forced to sit in an empty draft room in 2005. Last spring, he made it very clear how frustrated management was because they chose Jordan Love without letting him know. Rodgers had 85 touchdowns and nine interceptions during the Jordan Love era.
In a way, it was Rodgers’ ego waving the white flag at general manager Brian Gutekunst after years of bragging rights. During the 2021 draft, Rodgers’ relationship with Gutekunst was reportedly irreparable, with Rodgers leaving Green Bay if Gutekunst was still in power. However, at every stage, Rogers backed down. Rodgers returned to training camp after Green Bay called his bluff and convinced him at the end of the season to commit another four years to the Packers.
Gutekunst may have pissed off Rodgers by wasting a pick on Jordan Love, but he hit so often that he was never scolded for his decision. Rogers’ main goal after troll season will be to restore his reputation. 2021 has been one long celebration of discontent. He was upset that the Packers didn’t communicate with him. He was furious with the vaccine for having a better hit rate than Mason Crosby from 30 to 39 yards. He resented the veracity of the election math and the election of President Biden. He was angry that the vaccines weren’t 100%.
At some point, Rogers probably peered into the landscape and realized that Gutekunst (and Ted Thompson) had gathered a tight-knit team around them. Jare Alexander is the All-Pro’s best cornerback and Eric Stokes was a revelation for a rookie. In 2019, Green Bay selected Elgton Jenkins. Kenny Clarke was the dynamite in the trenches, blowing up offenses from the inside. Left tackle David Bakhtiari missed 90 percent of the 2021 season while recovering from a torn ACL. Devante Adams was intrigued to follow Rogers to another franchise, but why risk another team luring Adams with a Brinks truck similar to the one that Green Bay pulled up to Rogers’ front door?
Rogers committed to this expansion and restructuring before Tuesday’s 3:00 p.m. deadline to use the franchise tag on Adams, making the latter a 99 percent likely return as Rogers’ favorite target. It’s not 100 percent, but what now? Despite all those misplaced numbers Rogers was obsessed with before he got his $153 million guaranteed, LVII should be first on his mind in 2022.