Will The Jets' Restructuring Of Aaron Rodgers Land Them Another Star Player?
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk first reported late Tuesday night that the New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers had agreed to, but not yet signed a restructured contract.
Rodgers confirmed Wednesday to reporters that the report was true but he did not release any of the details. Later that night NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero broke the news of the deal being official, along with all of its elements.
The Jets' new quarterback is now set to take a $35 million pay cut since his previous contract had him earning $110 million in guaranteed money. Rodgers’ cap hit over the next two seasons is probably the most significant part of this deal. The four-time MVP is only costing the Jets $8.8 million against the cap in 2023 and $17.1 million in 2024.
Rodgers and New York have an option for a third year, but in order to create as much cap flexibility as possible, the contract is spread out through a total of five years, ending in 2028.
Cook On The Move
It’s no secret that this team-friendly deal is going to help the Jets acquire more talent for this roster over the next 2-3 years. With that being said, New York and former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook wasted no time.
While exploring free agency, Cook has been in contact with the Jets and Dolphins. Now that New York has taken care of Aaron Rodgers and Quinnen Williams over these last few weeks, there is potential for the Jets and Cook to work out a deal without any other variables getting in the way.
Closing Thoughts On The Jets
Since Rodgers owned a cap hit of $100+ million in 2024, we all knew that a pay cut was just a matter of time. But if you would have told me that it was going to be this significant, I honestly wouldn’t have believed you.
When Rodgers first made an appearance in Florham Park, you got the feeling that he genuinely wanted to be here. It was clear that he still wanted to accomplish much more before it was time for retirement. This new contract is a prime example of that.
Leaving all of that money on the table opens up so many doors for the Jets over the next few seasons. It’s hard to believe this as a Jets fan, but Rodgers wants to be a Jet, he wants to win as a Jet, and he’s proving that he’s willing to do anything in order to make that a reality. Now we await Cook's visit to New York this weekend and see if Gang Green will immediately take advantage of their new financial flexibility.
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