Things are very, very dangerous in Green Bay. The Packers suffered a backbreaking loss to the Lions on Sunday, which probably spelled the top to any playoff possibilities based mostly on the group’s remaining schedule — however the far greater looming downside is Aaron Rodgers’ contract.
Rodgers has been horrible by his personal requirements, on tempo for his worst season since turning into a starter in 2008. That’s dangerous in its personal proper, however the enormous monetary dedication the franchise made to the 38-year-old this previous offseason is what’s going to be a problem far past 2022.
What led to Rodgers’ extension once more?
The Packers have been at a crossroads earlier this yr and felt they needed to decide on Rodgers. The previous contract particulars are complicated, however essential right here. In 2018 Rodgers signed a 4 yr, $134M extension — which you’d assume would have made him a free agent after 2021. However, the best way this deal was structured the brand new phrases didn’t start till 2020.
It was a cap administration transfer, whereas additionally rewarding the group’s most essential participant with cash early. Then, in 2021 the group made one other contract modification, voiding the 2023 yr off the extension — which is a cap maneuver to push cash into the longer term. This meant that Rodgers would have been a free agent following this season, with the Packers holding the choice to franchise tag him in 2023 (ought to the necessity come up).
On paper this all appears positive. Rodgers was set to make $26.9M in 2022 and there he was acting at an MVP stage, with Green Bay holding the playing cards. The problem is that Rodgers was making it clear he wished yet one more contract extension, and the quiet a part of that is that he can be prepared to get it elsewhere.
Make no mistake: There was no scarcity of suitors. Denver didn’t disguise their need to commerce for Rodgers. Hell, the choice to rent Nathaniel Hackett as head coach was postmarked with “this is for Aaron,” whereas a variety of groups together with Carolina, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Cleveland have been all rumored to have kicked the tires on a commerce as properly.
In the top Green Bay GM Brian Gutekunst was too afraid of letting Rodgers depart, even in a profitable commerce, and as an alternative determined he’d be the one to step up and provides Aaron the one final huge contract he wished. On March 14th Rodgers and the Packers signed a 3 yr, $150M extension on his contract, with a staggering $101M of the deal assured. That assure is essential, as a result of it’s what’s led to this mess now.
The deal was kind of in keeping with what different franchise QBs have been getting, particularly the assured cash — which has grow to be customary in trendy NFL contracts for famous person gamers. If Rodgers continued to play at a MVP stage then there’s no dialogue of this deal. Obviously that hasn’t occurred.
Rodgers contract because it strikes ahead
Prior to the extension the Packers actually held the playing cards. The worst that would have occurred was that Rodgers retired as a result of he was aggravated with the group, and they’d have taken a cap hit in 2022 and 2023 earlier than getting to maneuver on with their lives.
Now Rodgers is in a whole energy place. Because of the extension and the contract structuring he’s owed $99.8M left on the deal, with $32M due subsequent yr alone — all absolutely assured. It implies that whether or not he performs, retires, or the Packers need to reduce him — each choice is absolutely dangerous for Green Bay. So, let’s discover every choice.
No. 1: Rodgers retains enjoying
It’s bizarre to assume this is likely to be the least-likely state of affairs, however right here we’re. If Rodgers retains enjoying it’s not horrible, it simply drags out a possible rebuild for years.
Obviously we don’t know the 2023 wage cap, however Rodgers continues to be set to make $31.6M subsequent yr and depend in the direction of a major chunk of the cap, no matter what it jumps to.
No. 2: Rodgers retires following 2022
This might be one of the best state of affairs for Green Bay, but it surely’s nonetheless not nice. With a lot assured cash left on the deal it might require Rodgers to depart a staggering sum of money on the desk, forfeiting a lot of the contract he coveted within the first place.
If there was no settlement on restructuring or remodeling the deal the Packers would take a cap hit of $40.3M in 2023. However they’d be free to rebuild with full cap house in 2024.
The Packers have 7 gamers set to grow to be unrestricted free brokers in 2023, and whereas not each a kind of gamers can be a precedence, it does embody Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan, two of the group’s solely offensive weapons. Fielding a full group would grow to be markedly harder. As it stands Over the Cap have the Packers at $5M within the purple, with 46 gamers beneath contract in 2023. Rodgers cuts that to 45 gamers, which means Green Bay would wish to discover a solution to re-sign Lazard, Tonyan and pay their draft class — all whereas being about $10M over the wage cap.
The numbers are actually troublesome to make work with out signing some questionable extensions for guys like David Bahktiari or Kenny Clark, purely to push cash into the longer term.
No. 3: Rodgers is reduce
Not going to occur. It’s not even value actually discussing this, however for completeness let’s do it.
If the Packers reduce Aaron Rodgers he’ll depend in the direction of $99M of the cap in 2023. If they selected to separate that it might be $31M in 2023 after which $68.2M in 2024. Cutting Rodgers would doom Green Bay for rattling close to a decade and destroy the group.
It is not going to occur.
No. 4: Rodgers is traded
Could it occur? Sure. Will it? I don’t see how.
There isn’t a no-trade clause constructed into Rodgers’ contract, so technically he could be dealt at any time. However, it’s onerous to see what group would roll the cube on an underperforming QB, who’s owed a boatload of cash, with questionable off-field pursuits, who might land in your metropolis and retire on the spot out of pettiness.
This would actually require the Packers to eat a substantial a part of Rodgers’ contract to even grease the wheels sufficient for a commerce, and that’s assuming a group is on the market who needs him.
When it involves a commerce the Packers might have gotten two, and even three first rounds picks in the event that they made the deal earlier than the draft. Now, it’s onerous to think about them getting something higher than a mid-rounder, and needing to eat some cap within the course of.
The wage cap goes up, so why is any of this an enormous deal?
This appears to be a typical chorus any time a foul contract is mentioned, and it’s supremely shortsighted. Yes, the NFL could have a bigger wage cap in 2023, with a good greater bounce coming in 2024 because of new TV rights offers kicking in. The problem is taking a look at this with a single group in isolation.
A nasty contract is a foul contract, no matter what occurs to the cap. At a useful stage, certain, it means that you can soak up the hit somewhat higher — however this ignores that each different group within the NFL can be getting extra cap house, and won’t have a horrible contract to cope with.
Bad offers, like Rodgers’, impacts the flexibility for a entrance workplace to supply cash to lure free brokers, retain their very own gamers in an inflated market, and customarily makes the entire course of harder. This is hitting double for Green Bay, as a result of not solely is the group in a foul cap spot, however they’re underperforming — so there isn’t an opportunity right here to get cut price offers on veteran gamers the identical method the Buccaneers and Rams have gotten in recent times, who solely joined groups in pursuit of championships.
Everyone is aware of the Packers aren’t in a spot to compete till a rebuild, and that places them in a foul scenario.
This is the symptom of the assured contract development
Let’s make one thing abundantly clear: NFL gamers deserve assured contracts. They play one of the vital brutal sports activities on this planet, with a really slender window to earn money earlier than they’re compelled to depart the sport, and retire right into a life which is probably going shortened because of the punishment they took enjoying soccer.
Having gamers safe their futures whereas their inventory is excessive is likely one of the finest single modifications to occur to NFL contracts within the historical past of the game. The outdated mannequin of reported $100M offers that noticed prime stars earn a fraction of that, then get reduce or injured was an unsustainable mess. However, there’s a draw back to the brand new assured offers too.
In a number of methods the league continues to be rising accustomed to coping with assured contracts. As it stands there actually isn’t a system that insulates groups from gamers falling off a cliff efficiency clever. On the one hand you could be callus and say “the front office deserves it,” however that’s probably not truthful to followers who should endure ache and rebuilding as a result of one dangerous assured contract went awry.
Either method, nothing shall be mounted till a brand new CBA — and that’s received’t come till 2030. The Aaron Rodgers scenario in Green Bay is going on now, and it isn’t fairly.