By Bob McGinn
Green Bay - Quarterback Aaron Rodgers impressive performance in seven starts was enough for the Green Bay Packers to sign him Friday to a lucrative contract through the 2014 season.
Rodgers signed the deal after practice at about 1 p.m. Terms were not disclosed.
Im very excited knowing that my future is going to be here in Green Bay, Rodgers said. I appreciate the commitment theyve made to me. [img]http://cmsimg.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=U0&Date=20081031&Category=PKR01&ArtNo=81031110&Ref=AR&Profile=1058&MaxW=318&Border=0[/img]Hopefully, I can prove to them that they made the correct decision to give me this extension.
Rodgers, 24, signed a five-year, $7.66 million contract in August 2005 after being the 24th selection in the first round. He was playing under his existing contract, which included a base salary of $1.052 million in both 2008 and 09, although his 09 base salary would have increased substantially because of an escalator clause.
But the Packers, with $19.994 million of room under the salary cap, had seen all they needed to see.
We think hes a good player and weve thought that for some time, Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. We think this is a good long-term investment for the organization.
Is Rodgers a worthy successor to Brett Favre?
I dont know if Im going to compare him to anybody, said Thompson. We just think hes going to be a very good NFL quarterback.
Were looking at it from a longer view rather than just the last two months. I do think hes gone in and played the games well. Hes had good command of the huddle. He has handled the chaos of an NFL game pretty well.
We think he will continue to develop in his craft.
Rodgers has a 98.8 passer rating, which ranks eighth in the National Football League. His predecessor, Favre, ranks 14th at 89.5 with the New York Jets.
Certainly, the contracts signed by quarterbacks Tony Romo and David Garrard with the Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively, weighed on negotiations between the Packers and David Dunn, the agent for Rodgers. [url=index.php?name=Pro_News&aid=92]Read More...[/url].