Does Aaron Rodgers deserve new Packers contract which makes him highest paid player in NFL history?

The NFL world was waiting around to see what Aaron Rodgers would decide to do for the 2022 season. Would he stay in Green Bay, retire, or demand a trade? Reports dropped Tuesday afternoon that he is staying with the Packers after negotiating a monumental new contract.

He is reportedly getting a four-year, $200 million deal with $153 million guaranteed. That is according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

It is fair to note that Pat McAfee has claimed this report is untrue. However, Rapoport is a top NFL insider, so we will go with this information at the moment. With that being the case, this new deal is a monstrous one to behold.

$153 million guaranteed is a wild figure, and Rodgers is now the highest-paid player in NFL history. But does he deserve this type of money?

Aaron Rodgers is signing at the right time

The main argument against paying him this money is that he only has one Super Bowl to his name. The Packers have also won 13 regular-season games in each of the past three seasons, yet have not won the NFC in any of those years. Yet seeking a replacement would presume that there is someone else out there who is better who can get the team to the Super Bowl.

Well, common sense says that Rodgers is still their best option out of anyone who could come in. The team drafted Jordan Love to be the heir apparent, but it has become clear the team has lost faith in him over the past two years. Who right now is supposed to come in and be better? The answer is no one, considering teams were reportedly willing to make blockbuster trades to acquire him.

The Rodgers deal is also jarring at first glance, yet the salary cap just jumped up above $200 million for the first time ever. If it increases $10 million on an annual basis, the $50 million annual salary won’t be as extreme as it would have been a few years ago.

So yes, he does deserve this money based on the market alone. He has also reset the standard for players like Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson, who may see their own pay go up thanks to this brand new deal. That is just the way the quarterback market works and has always worked. If the Packers legend had locked in a deal a few years ago, he would be making significantly less.

NFL quarterback contracts are going to keep going up, and in a few years, $50 million on an annual basis may be a baseline value.

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