Aaron Rodgers takes a pay lower and agrees to a 2-year, $75 million cope with the Jets, AP supply says

NFL

Rodgers, quarterback of a Patriots’ division rival, desires to make sure that his workforce can afford sufficient expertise to compete in an powerful AFC East.

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr., Related Press

July 27, 2023 | 8:38 AM

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers has a brand new cope with the New York Jets — and he’s taking a pay lower to attempt to assist ship a Tremendous Bowl to the winning-starved franchise.

Rodgers agreed to a reworked two-year, $75 million assured contract with the Jets on Wednesday, in line with an individual conversant in the deal.

The four-time NFL MVP had practically $110 million in assured cash remaining on his earlier deal signed with Inexperienced Bay. However Rodgers is taking much less cash with New York in a transfer that seems to additionally reiterate his stick with the Jets is prone to final past simply this season.

The individual spoke to the AP on the situation of anonymity as a result of the workforce didn’t announce the contract, which can save the Jets practically $35 million on Rodgers’ wage over the following two seasons. NFL Community, which first reported the perimeters had agreed to a brand new deal that features no-franchise tag and no-trade clauses, additionally stated the contract consists of two possibility years to assist prorate a $35 million roster bonus Rodgers will obtain Sunday, along with his $1.8 million wage for this season.

The information of the reworked contract got here after Rodgers confirmed a ProFootballTalk report Tuesday evening he had agreed to a reworked contract.

“Yeah, there’s going to be one thing hitting most likely in a while immediately,” Rodgers stated.

Aaron Rodgers voluntarily took a $35 million pay lower on his two-year cope with the Jets, as @TomPelissero reported. This can enable the Jets to accumulate extra expertise than they might have below the contract they assumed from Inexperienced Bay in April. No workforce sport participant is assumed to…

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2023

Seems, it was a very new contract for a participant who has repeatedly hinted he was greater than only a one-year rental for New York, which hasn’t been to the Tremendous Bowl since its solely win with Joe Namath main the best way in 1969.

“The workforce gave up important items for it to only be a one-year deal,” Rodgers stated just a few hours earlier than the information of the contract circulated. “I’m conscious of that. I believe there was an consciousness of that. Now, once more, something may occur with my physique or the success that we have now this 12 months, however I’m having a blast, so I don’t actually see this as a one-year-and-done factor.”

The Jets despatched a first-, second- and sixth-round choose on this 12 months’s draft to the Packers in April, together with a conditional second-rounder subsequent 12 months that might change into a first-rounder if Rodgers performs a minimum of 65% of the snaps. Inexperienced Bay gave up first and fifth-round picks this 12 months, together with the quarterback.

Rodgers beforehand agreed to a reworked contract that helped push the commerce ahead. He was due a totally assured $58.3 million possibility bonus, however it was shifted to subsequent 12 months. That left New York needing to pay Rodgers the minimal throughout his first three months with the workforce, which price solely $1.2 million in opposition to the wage cap — serving to the Jets make extra roster strikes and signings.

However that restructuring additionally meant Rodgers’ 2024 wage would have counted $107.6 million in opposition to subsequent 12 months’s cap — an unlimited hit.

As an alternative, the Jets and Rodgers have been in a position to work out a brand new deal to fulfill either side. It additionally provides Jets followers hope they’ll see a winner quickly after the workforce has did not make the playoffs for 12 straight years, the NFL’s longest lively postseason drought.

“Change may be troublesome, for certain, particularly when it’s that drastic — 18 years in a single spot,” Rodgers stated, referring to his time in Inexperienced Bay. “However when you can lean into it and embrace it, there’s some actually lovely issues on the opposite aspect. And I’ve been experiencing it thus far and the individuals have been nice, each in Jersey and within the metropolis. And I’m simply having a hell of a time.”