Another box has been checked in the burgeoning Aaron Rodgers era in Gotham.
Rodgers has agreed to a new two-year, $75 million guaranteed contract through the 2024 season with the New York Jets, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported, per NFL salary data, Wednesday afternoon.
Rodgers is taking a pay cut of roughly $35 million as his previous deal had nearly $110 million guaranteed remaining, per Pelissero. Pelissero added that the four-time Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player's new contract is technically a five-year deal with two option years to spread out bonus proration. The pact also creates a 2023 cap number of just less than $9 million.
Rodgers confirmed a reworked deal on Wednesday, though he was relatively mum on the details other than seeming to hint it meant he does not intend to just play one season with the Jets.
"The team gave up significant pieces for it to just be a one-year deal," Rodgers said, via ESPN's Rich Cimini. "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."
In a long-anticipated and long-awaited transaction, Rodgers was traded from the Packers to the Jets in April. One of the caveats of the trade was Rodgers would eventually restructure his contract with the Packers. Rodgers, who signed a massive extension with Green Bay prior to the start of the 2022 season, was due to make just $1.16 million in base salary in 2023, but a whopping $107.55 million in 2024.
Thus, the Jets had a very low cap number in 2023 to work with, but a comically high number in 2024 that commanded a restructure, all the more so if Rodgers was to stick around past being a one-and-done solution for New York's long-standing QB ills.
Rodgers' willingness to accept less in guaranteed money signals his hope that a financial loss could lead to future Super Bowl rings.
