Like a monster in a horror flick that just won’t die, Aaron Rodgers is returning to the Packers. That’s bad news for the Bears, who entered this offseason hoping that the man who has tortured them for the better part of a generation would finally tap out — or at least leave the NFC North.
The quarterback is signing a four-year, $200 million deal, with $153 million guaranteed, to stay in Green Bay, NFL Network reported Tuesday. That ends a 13-month chapter in which optimistic Bears fans could glimpse a possible crack in the NFC North.
Rodgers called his future a “beautiful mystery” before losing in the NFC title game at the end of the 2020 season. Rumors spread on draft day 2021 that he wanted out because he was frustrated with the lack of help given him by the Packers’ front office, who had drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the first round a year before. He skipped mandatory minicamp in June. He auditioned to host “Jeopardy!”
Rodgers arrived for training camp with a year left on his deal but with the understanding he’d be able to control his future in the 2022 offseason. In August, he said he was “immunized” against the coronavirus. In November, he tested positive, revealing to the world what the team already knew — he was unvaccinated.
An early exit from the playoffs — the Packers lost to the 49ers in Round 2 — felt like it could have been Rodgers’ last game in Green Bay. But after winning the NFL MVP award for the second-straight time in early February, Rodgers praised general manager Brian Gutekunst, saying there was “so much growth” and it “didn’t go unnoticed.” He vowed to make a decision about his future in a timely fashion.
That happened Tuesday, just hours before the franchise tag deadline. Receiver Davante Adams, his favorite target, figures to get the tag if the two sides can’t agree to a new deal.
Rodgers will stay in the NFC North to torment the Bears, whom he’s beaten 23 times in 28 tries. His four-year deal goes as long as quarterback Justin Fields’ rookie deal, provided the Bears pick up his rookie option.
In October, Rodgers screamed at a Bears fan, “All my [expletive] life, I own you.”
He’ll have at least four more years to continue backing that up.
