Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers got paid, and then some.
The Packers and Rodgers have agreed to terms on a four-year, $134 million extension, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport and NFL Network’s James Jones reported, per a source informed. Rodgers also receives a record $57.5 million signing bonus and will earn more than $80 million by March, Rapoport added. The team later made the deal official.
Rodgers previously signed a five-year, $110 million extension in 2013 and was set to enter the regular season with two years remaining on his contract, which paid base salaries of $19.8 million in 2018 and $20 million in 2020.
The Packers, however, indicated throughout the offseason they would take care of the two-time NFL MVP by signing him to a new deal.
With a new deal in his back pocket, there will be no distractions for Rodgers and the Packers when they host the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field for their regular-season opener on Sept. 9.
Since entering the league in 2005, the 34-year-old Rodgers has become the heart and soul of the Packers, guiding the team to a championship in Super Bowl XLV, where he also won the MVP.
On his career, Rodgers holds a 94-48 overall record as a starter, and has passed 38,502 yards, 313 touchdowns with 78 interceptions for a 103.8 passer rating. His passer rating and TD-INT ratio ranks as the highest in NFL history (minimum 2,000 attempts).
The Packers signal-caller enters his 14th professional season and has made his mark, including being one of two active players to win multiple MVP awards and one of two quarterbacks with multiple first-team All-Pro selections, accomplishments shared with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Rodgers has also been named to six Pro Bowls and is one of eight active quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl. He is the second-most productive quarterback in Packers history behind Hall of Famer Brett Favre.
While Rodgers has gathered numerous gaudy individual statistics and accolades on his career; perhaps his biggest value to the Packers surrounds his time on the field.
Since 2008, the Packers are 94-46 and average 27.7 points per game with Rodgers, but are 6-13-1 and average 20.2 points per game without him.
In 2017, the Packers endured nine games without Rodgers, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 6, and missed the postseason with a 7-9 record. A healthy Rodgers, however, should return the Packers to playoff contention in the NFC North.