GREEN BAY, Wisconsin – The Packers did not change Aaron Rodgers’ contract last Friday, a source told ESPN, and they paid their $ 6.8 million bonus as is, instead of converting it into a subscription, which would have released more than $ 4.5 million in wage cap space for this season.
However, they would have pushed that money to future limits, thus increasing what Rodgers would count in his 2022 and 2023 years.
There were doubts about whether the Packers paid the list bonus or agreed to postpone it as part of a restructuring or extension negotiations.
“It was acquired on Friday as scheduled,” said the source.
It is a sign that perhaps the Packers do not want to count more dead money than they would already count if they ceased to be the MVP quarterback after this season.
When asked if a restructuring or extension was still underway, the source, who is familiar with the Packers’ plans, said “possibly”.
Rodgers openly speculated about his future at Green Bay after the defeat of the NFC Championship Game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January.
Shortly thereafter, Packers’ general manager, Brian Gutekunst, made it appear that Rodgers is in his plans not only for 2021, but also beyond.
However, when asked if Gutekunst felt the need to reassure Rodgers about this – verbally or with an adjustment to his contract – the GM said: “I don’t think I have to do much to assure you because I think that obviously the game speaks for you. “
But Gutekunst chose Rodgers’ possible replacement, Jordan Love, in the first round of last year’s draft. Their contracts are executed simultaneously, during the 2023 season, although the Packers have the Love option for 2024 in the fifth year.
Sources in several leagues said they believed Rodgers wanted assurances that he would be the Green Bay defender beyond the 2021 season and that he would not be a “lame duck” defender. The team could do this by adjusting its contract without adding money to it. Packers could convert a large portion of their $ 14.7 million base salary into a subscription bonus. This would give them additional space for the limit this season, but it would also increase the amount of dead money he would count on next year’s limit if they changed.