Will This Finally Be It For Aaron Rodgers And The Packers?

After the Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers announced they were running it back, the general assumption was that the veteran QB would retire after the 2024 NFL season.

OutKick's Armando Salguero reported that Rodgers was already signed for the 2022 season but his representatives and the Packers adjusted that year and it appeared to make the deal a two-year extension.

The Athletic's Matt Schneidman reports the contract is essentially a one-year deal for $42 million. The same idea was relayed by former Packers’ executive Andrew Brandt, in his recent Sports Illustrated column.

“I view this contract as a one-year deal for $42 million,” Brandt wrote. “Next year there are two guaranteed option bonuses, but these bonuses 1) have to be exercised by the Packers, and 2) would travel to a new team upon any trade. And with this option bonus structure, the dead money actually goes up the longer the contract goes on. Were Rodgers to retire or be traded before the option next year, there would be roughly $40 million of dead money but also a credit of $59 million in nonexercised bonuses back to the Packers. And if he were to play again for the Packers next year, the dead money would rise to never-before-seen proportions. The Packers knew this in negotiating this contract, as did Rodgers’ agent. In my humble opinion, this contract suggests a one-and-done for Rodgers and Jordan Love will ascend to the Packers’ starting quarterback job after three years of apprenticeship, the same term that Aaron waited years ago.”

The Athletic reports the team began the offseason about $50 million over the salary cap — the second-worst cap crater in the league — but now sit No. 16 and hold more than $15 million in cap space.

Overthecap.com shows Green Bay’s $15,139,028 in available cap space after factoring in all the new deals.

But the team doesn't appear to have much spending money when accounting for future spending on things like practice squad salaries and in-season signings, Green Bay salary cap analyst Ken Ingalls shows.

So for now, let's not be so quick to assume Rodgers will play beyond the 2022 season — at least in Green Bay.