Giving Aaron Rodgers an Opt Out Within Four Years Would Be Very Altruistic of the Packers

Aaron Rodgers gave a rare comment about his contract situation to Peter King, who made his NBC Football Morning in America column debut today. Here is what Rodgers said:

"“It’s only been on my mind because … people have been writing and talking about it a lot,” he said. “There have been many conversations about it. I think that there’s some merit to looking into where you do a non-traditional contractual agreement. If anybody at this point is gonna be able to do something like that, I think there needs to be a conversation about it. I never said anything about [tying the contract to] the cap. I just think there’s ways to do contracts where you can still be competitive so the team is happy about it, but have some more freedom.”"

Rodgers then alluded to how if the Packers could trade Brett Favre or Jordy Nelson, surely the day could come where his services were no longer coveted by the organization. He also said he wants to play until he’s 40 — which would be five more seasons — and hopes to maintain his mobility.

The key words in the excerpted passage are “non-traditional” and “more freedom”. Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported in June that Rodgers was seeking an opt-out in his contract negotiations. If the Packers give him this at any point within four seasons, they would be effectively yielding leverage that is in their hands at this point.

Rodgers is signed for two more years remaining on his contract, which was a five-year deal for a total of $110 million. That $22 million average is significantly below market at rate at this point considering the deals Matt Ryan and Kirk Cousins have signed. From there, the Packers could franchise him twice. According to former sports agent Joel Corry, this would add up to about $65 million over two years. If the Packers pay Rodgers $100 million over the next four seasons, they are getting a bargain unless his production falls off a cliff or he can’t stay healthy.

From the Packers’ perspective, it could make sense to structure a deal with Rodgers so that a certain amount of this money becomes guaranteed now, so they could spread the cap hit out more as opposed to having him cost a projected $35 million in the 2021 season. This would ideally keep Rodgers happy as the cornerstone of the franchise.

However, giving him an opt out at any point within the next four years would in essence be a gift from the Packers to Rodgers. This isn’t an easy situation for rookie GM Brian Gutekunst, but at least Rodgers is projecting an outward zen attitude about the whole thing.