Cary Edmondson-USA Today Sports
On Friday afternoon, it was reported that the Green Bay Packers and starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers reached a contract extension. The two sides had been in the negotiating process for a number of months now, so the news doesn’t really come as that big of a shock. With that being said, neither does the fact that he will now be the highest paid player in NFL history.
Packers announce contract extension for QB Aaron Rodgers. He’s now highest paid player in NFL history
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) April 26, 2013
Rodgers’ extension was expected to surpass the contract of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, whose recent deal broke the record in its own right. After winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens made Flacco the highest paid player in the sports’ histroy and that instantly sparked the debate that Rodgers’ eventual extension would topple that soon enough.
According to reports, Rodgers extension will be for five years, $110 million, which is $22 million per year. Rodgers will be paid an astonishing $40 million in the first year and $62 million over the first three.
The quarterback position continues to set the bar high in terms of payouts and contracts and it’s trended that way and included the likes of Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Eli Manning and Peyton Manning — so it’s no real surprise the Packers made this move with Rodgers.
The Packers recently signed star linebacker Clay Matthews to a contract extension, so the fact that Green Bay had made it a priority to lock up their top two players on either side of the football says a lot. Rodgers and Matthews are not going anywhere and that’s dangerous news for the rest of the NFC North.
Rodgers won a Super Bowl title in 2011, earning MVP honors alongside of it and has been named to three time Pro Bowls since taking over the starting job in Green Bay. He has passed for 21,661 yards thus far in his NFL career.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
