Aaron Rodgers Says He'd 'Love to Play to 40' amid Contract Negotiations

Aaron Rodgers told Peter King of NBC Sports that he would like to finish his career with the Green Bay Packers and preferably not anytime soon. 

As Rodgers revealed, he wants to at least hit 40:

"I'd love to play to 40. I just think that number means a lot. Obviously, Tom [Brady] is kind of rewriting the book. Brett [Favre] had a good season when he turned 40. My goal is be able to move like I do or close to how I do and still be able to do that at 40...just because nobody's been able to do that and still move around the same. Steve Young’s career was cut short in his late thirties. John [Elway], the same—he didn’t really move the same as when he was younger. So to be able to move the same way at 38, 39, 40 would be cool. That’s my aim."

Rodgers has two years remaining on his deal and is set to make $19.8 million in 2018 and $20 million in 2019 in base salary, per Spotrac.com. By the time his next contract kicks in, he'll be 36, but he's still likely to command top dollar.

He told King, however, that he'd be open to doing a unique contract that would both prevent his deal from becoming obsolete in a few years as other quarterbacks signed bigger deals while also offering the team some financial flexibility:

"I think that there's some merit to looking into where you do a non-traditional contractual agreement. If anybody at this point is gonna be able to do something like that, I think there needs to be a conversation about it. I never said anything about [tying the contract to] the cap. I just think there's ways to do contracts where you can still be competitive so the team is happy about it, but have some more freedom."

The contract Rodgers was referencing would essentially tie the yearly value of his contract to any increases in the salary cap, ensuring that he earned a percentage of the cap rather than a predetermined lump sum each season. That's essentially how max contracts in the NBA work, so there's certainly a precedent for that type of agreement, albeit in a different sport. 

The six-time Pro Bowler, two-time MVP and Super Bowl champion remains one of the top players in the league when healthy. Before missing nine games last season, Rodgers had one of his best statistical seasons in 2016, throwing for 4,428 yards, 40 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 65.7 percent of his passes. 

Assuming Rodgers remains at that level, or at least near it, his next contract could break new ground in the NFL.