Call it the new math. 12 + 17 equals 220 million. After two big decisions were made on Tuesday, one by Aaron Rodgers and the other by the Green Bay Packers with Davante Adams, the franchise has rolled out the Brinks truck for their two superstars on offense.
Rodgers would only confirm he’s returning to the Packers via twitter and said no deal has been signed yet. The NFL Network reported the Packers would make Rodgers the highest paid player in the league with a four year, 200 million dollar deal with 153 million of that guaranteed. The final numbers will come out in due time but Rodgers is expected to have a contract that would eclipse Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes with an average per year salary of 45 million.
As for Adams, the Packers for only the second time, applied the franchise tag on the All Pro receiver, locking him to Green Bay at a 2022 salary of 20.1 million dollars. The tag will give General Manager Brian Gutekunst and Vice-President of Football Operations Russ Ball time to work out another long term, lucrative contract extension. The team will have until July to get that done but it behooves the organization to move quickly because the 20 million dollar tag pushes their salary cap to approximately 237 million. They have one week to whittle that down to the 2022 NFL salary cap limit of 208.2 million dollars. Judging from the contract extension the Los Angeles Chargers just gave their star receiver Mike Williams (3 years, 60 million), it will be another expensive outlay for the Pack.
So with the two biggest dominoes falling, how will the rest tumble?
To reach the cap limit by the start of the league calendar year on March 16, expect a few more veteran contracts to get restructured with base salaries converted to signing bonuses with voidable years added to ease immediate cap pressure. Three such deals have already been completed with Kenny Clark, Aaron Jones and David Bakhtiari. Expect more with signed veterans like Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Adrian Amos, Billy Turner or Dean Lowry.
Za’Darius Smith, with the second highest cap number on the team at more than 26 million dollars might be released outright after playing in only the first regular season game and the Divisional Round playoff loss following back surgery in September.
The Packers must decide whether to exercise the fifth year option on original rookie deals for former number one picks Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage. They could decline and push tricky contract extension negotiations into 2023.
Pro Bowl corner Jaire Alexander is also in line for a contract extension.
And we haven’t even gotten to the list of 23 unrestricted, restricted or exclusive rights free agents who will have contracts expiring next week.
Gutekunst must decide on who he wants back and for how much, and who he wants to let walk.
The list of unrestricted free agents includes: Kevin King, Robert Tonyan, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Randall Cobb, Equanimeous St. Brown, De’Vondre Campbell, Rasul Douglas, Lucas Patrick, Tyler Lancaster, Cory Bojorquez, Chandon Sullivan, Oren Burks, Dennis Kelly, Issac Yiadom and Jack Heflin.
The two restricted free agents are Allen Lazard and Yosh Nijman.
Exclusive rights free agents are Malik Taylor, Khrys Barnes, Dominque Dafney, Henry Black, Chauncey Rivers, Randy Ramsey and Kurt Benkert.
As difficult as it was to convince Rodgers to return and to tag Adams, the really hard deliberations are now underway and the tough decisions have to be made in one week’s time.
