Aaron Rodgers Rumors: Packers 'Willing to Offer' Contract to Be Highest-Paid QB

The Green Bay Packers are hoping the allure of a lucrative contract will keep Aaron Rodgers happy enough to remain with the team. 

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Packers are "willing to offer" the four-time NFL MVP a contract extension that would make him the league's highest-paid quarterback. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Packers are "prepared to go all in" for Rodgers in 2022 by "spending as close to the cap this year and spreading it into future years as much as possible" to entice their franchise quarterback to return. 

If Green Bay follows through, this approach would echo what teams like the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done in recent seasons to appeal to their quarterbacks. 

The Saints have been pushing money into future years against the cap when they were trying to win with Drew Brees. The Buccaneers brought back all 22 starters this season from their Super Bowl team in 2020, but many of those players will be free agents this offseason with the team only having $6.8 million in cap space as things currently stand. 

This was an approach the Packers tried last season with Rodgers amid reports he was unhappy with the organization. 

Schefter reported in July that Rodgers turned down a two-year extension to become the highest-paid quarterback in the league. 

Specific terms of last year's offer weren't made available, but Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs has the highest average annual salary among quarterbacks in the NFL ($45 million). 

Instead, Rodgers and the Packers reworked his contract to remove forfeiture provisions that prevents the team from pursuing prorated portions of his signing bonus and to turn the final season of the deal in 2023 into a void year. 

Rodgers told NFL Network's Taylor Bisciotti after winning his fourth career MVP award Thursday that he's had "good conversations" with the Packers and will "do some contemplating and make a decision here pretty quick."

If Rodgers is going to stay, there are reasons for the Packers to act quickly on trying to get a new deal done. They need to free up salary-cap space with key players, including Davante Adams and De'Vondre Campbell, set to become free agents. 

Green Bay is currently $48.5 million over the cap for next season, per Spotrac. An extension for Rodgers would enable the Packers to lower his 2022 cap hit, which is currently set to be $46.7 million. 

Rodgers threw for 4,115 yards and 37 touchdowns during the regular season to help the Packers clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the second consecutive year. They lost to the San Francisco 49ers 13-10 in the NFC Divisional Round.