Jets' Aaron Rodgers on Contract Pay Cut: 'Was the Right Thing That Made Me Feel Best'

You won't find too many people who say they feel better after giving up $33.7 million.

Aaron Rodgers is not most people.

The New York Jets quarterback told Peter King of NBC Sports he felt taking a pay cut was the "right thing" to do heading into the 2023 season.

"What it comes down to, it was … it was the right thing that made me feel best," Rodgers said. "I thought it was important they knew how committed I was. And in my conversations with [general manager] Joe [Douglas], he has made it very clear the vision for the football team.

"You probably agree with this. This year, compared to like 2005, the amount of transactions that happen now with guys getting cut and the amount of trades—way more than before. Big names move at the trade deadline now. I wanted to make sure that if somebody valuable came available that we'd be able to get him. I'm very happy with the contract. I feel great about it."

Rodgers agreed to a reworked contract with the Jets that was reported as a two-year, $75 million deal but actually has a far more unique structure. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Rodgers' contract is actually a seven-year deal that contains no voidable years. The first two seasons total $75 million in fully guaranteed money—thus representing the $33.7 million pay cut he took from his previous contract structure—but there is also another $35 million option bonus for 2025.

The deal also calls for Rodgers to have a $20 million salary from 2026 through 2029. While it's a certainty he will not play out the full length of that deal and it almost certainly will be reworked at some point, it's a signal that both parties are willing to do whatever it takes to make the partnership work.

Rodgers taking a pay cut to that level is essentially unprecedented. The deal lowers his cap hit to just $8.9 million for the 2023 season and keeps it at just $17.2 million for 2024. Those numbers are nearly rookie scale levels of friendly, which should allow the Jets to fortify their roster around Rodgers the next two seasons any way they see fit.

The Jets currently have right around $16 million in cap space, much of which they may soon use up if they can reach an agreement with running back Dalvin Cook. New York can also carry some of that space over into 2024 to continue building the supporting cast.

As it stands, Rodgers' leadership in this sense should be commended—even if it's unlikely his accountant is happy with the move.