Aaron Rodgers isn’t dragging out the drama this time.
He’s staying with the Green Bay Packers, and he’s making big money doing it.
So maybe he hasn’t been canceled after all.
Rodgers, 38, officially has decided to return to the Packers, according to Pat McAfee, a former NFL punter turned media personality who broke the news on Tuesday.
Rodgers considered retirement, per McAfee, but in the end chose to remain in Green Bay.
There is some debate on the money.
According to NFL Network, Rodgers and the Packers have agreed to a stunning four-year, $200 contract extension that includes $153 million guaranteed. McAfee and other reports contend that those numbers aren’t accurate and that a deal isn’t finalized yet.
Regardless, this is a major disappointment for the rest of the NFC North.
It’s important in the Packers’ courtship of their own top receiver Davante Adams, as well.
Rodgers still has won only one Super Bowl, so he still has a lot to prove even coming off his fourth NFL MVP last season.
Rodgers, 38, became the face of anti-vaxxers in the NFL and in sports by unloading unsubstantiated theories and political beliefs on McAfee’s show last season. He lied about his vaccination status and got caught and was outed, so he lashed out in response.
Rodgers whined that he was being canceled rather than accepting accountability. And of course, he wasn’t canceled; he was voted league MVP, even though Tom Brady had a stronger case with the Buccaneers.
It was then reported in early January that Rodgers had threatened to boycott the Super Bowl over the vaccine, something the quarterback denied.
But that was a moot point, obviously, since Rodgers’ Packers lost 13-10 to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round of the playoffs at Lambeau Field anyway.
Now Rodgers is cashing in. So good for him and the Packers. Bad for the NFC North. Not clear if it’s relevant for next year’s Super Bowl predictions.
