Topline
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Tuesday he will return to the Green Bay Packers this season, but the National Football League’s two-time reigning Most Valuable Player rejected an NFL Network report from earlier Tuesday that Rodgers and the Packers agreed to the largest NFL contract ever in terms of average annual value.
Aaron Rodgers will return to the Green Bay Packers, shutting down speculation about Rodgers’ future … [+]
Key Facts
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported late Tuesday morning the deal is worth $200 million over four years, far surpassing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ record-high $45 million average annual value.
Pat McAfee, host of the Pat McAfee Show where Rodgers appears frequently, said Tuesday morning Rodgers told him personally he will return to the Packers, but said Rapoport’s report on the deal is “false” and “not accurate.”
McAfee tweeted, “There is no deal in place currently but there is said to be a Cap Friendly deal on the way.”
Rodgers said he will return to play in Green Bay for the 2022 season in a Tuesday afternoon tweet, but called Rapoport’s report on the contract’s financial terms “inaccurate,” clarifying he hadn’t signed a new deal with the team.
The deal puts to rest significant speculation—mostly fueled by Rodgers himself—over whether Rodgers was retiring or demanding a trade to another team.
Crucial Quote
Rodgers said in a tweet addressing the situation: “I will be playing with the @packers next year, however, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract I ‘signed.’”
Key Background
Rodgers demanded a trade from Green Bay last spring and held out before eventually returning to the team in late July. Rodgers dominated on the field last season, leading the league in quarterback rating and quarterbacking the Packers to the best regular season record in the NFL. Rodgers sowed significant controversy off the field, however, for his misleading statements about Covid-19—such as misleading reporters about his vaccination status and making false claims about side effects from the Covid-19 vaccine—much of which came on McAfee’s show. Many took a lengthy February Instagram post from Rodgers thanking members of the Packers organization as a sign he planned to leave Green Bay, but Rodgers clarified on McAfee’s show he had yet to make a “decision on my future.”
Tangent
With Rodgers in place, the Packers are now expected to place the franchise tag on free agent All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, Rapoport reports, likely returning Adams to the Packers on a one-year contract worth upwards of $20 million.
Further Reading
Recapping Aaron Rodgers’ Wild NFL Season: Ivermectin, Miles Teller, MVP-Level Play, And More (Forbes)
‘No Decision On My Future’: Rodgers Downplays Cryptic Instagram Post (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2022/03/08/aaron-rodgers-says-hell-return-to-packers-but-denies-report-of-historic-new-contract/