Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has officially signed a new contract with the Green Bay Packers that will take his career earnings halfway to the billion-dollar mark.
The deal is a four-year extension that pays roughly $150 million during the first three years, according to multiple reports. The last two years serve as “placeholders” to help lower Rodgers’ salary cap figures. His 2022 cap number drops by nearly $20 million.
The deal is on par with the other top QB contracts. The Bills’ Josh Allen has the biggest guarantee in the sport at $150 million, while the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes has the NFL’s highest average annual salary at $45 million. The NFL remains a quarterback-centered league, with the 11 highest average salaries all signal callers, according to Spotrac data.
Assuming Rodgers, 38, receives the full $150 million during the first three years, his career earnings including off-field income would hit $550 million and rank him among the highest-paid athletes of all time.
The extension comes on the heels of a tumultuous two years between the four-time MVP and the team, which has brewed since the Packers drafted Rodgers’ assumed heir apparent, Jordan Love, in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Last year, Rodgers skipped voluntary workouts and mandatory organized team activities, which cost him his $500,000 workout bonus. He reported to training camp and finished the season with his second MVP in as many years.
The only active NFL players with higher career on-field earnings than Rodgers’ $264 million are newly unretired Tom Brady, at $293 million, and Atlanta QB Matt Ryan, with $267 million. Brady has earned $475 million overall since being drafted in 2000, including sponsorships, appearances, royalties and memorabilia.
Rodgers has been a popular pitchman during his career and signed endorsements with Adidas, Bose, TaylorMade and Zenith watches. His multimillion dollar State Farm pact is one of the NFL’s biggest deals. Rodgers’ brand took a hit last year with his controversial comments on COVID-19 treatments and his vaccine status. Wisconsin-based Prevea Health, which worked with Rodgers since 2012, dropped the quarterback as a brand ambassador. Rodgers plummeted from the third most-liked player among fans to outside the top 20, according to a Morning Consult poll.