Rumors are flying that Aaron Rodgers might be holding out not just for the biggest bundle of cash in the history of the league, but also something far more audacious: the first player option in league history.


I confess myself skeptical that even Rodgers could muster the kind of leverage required to force such a lopsided and potentially fraught deal. From what I've seen to this point, Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball have shown themselves to be pretty savvy. I find it hard to believe that they would be foolish (or desperate) enough to ink a mammoth deal that could leave Green Bay holding the bag without a whole lot to show for it.

Let's be realistic about this. Although conventional wisdom holds that Aaron Rodgers is one of the most talented quarterbacks in history, possibly the most gifted in terms of raw talent alone — hell, I myself have made that argument on more than one occasion — if we're honest with ourselves, we have to acknowledge that much of that pure talent has gone unrealized. The unfortunate reality is that Rodgers only has one Super Bowl appearance — eight seasons ago — and he hasn't really gotten close to returning to the big dance since, two NFC Championship Game berths notwithstanding. Moreover, Rodgers has failed to dominate the league statistically the past two or three seasons, and this offense's last truly elite season was 2011.

Not that this misuse of talent is entirely Rodgers' fault, of course. Sure, he's made his share of questionable decisions on the field, particularly in the playoffs, but we all know that management and coaching staff haven't exactly done him any favors, either with personnel decisions or with playcalling in key situations.

Even if we are as generous as possible to Rodgers in apportioning blame for the Packers' postseason futility, however, I just don’t see Gutekunst and Ball springing for a potentially suicidal deal that could not only hamstring the organization's future prospects but also arguably upset the balance of power in the league (and not in a way favorable to teams). And frankly, I wouldn't want them to. From the day they signed that deal until the day Rodgers retired, the sword of Damocles would be hanging over their heads. Keeping Aaron Rodgers happy would become more of a priority than putting a high-quality, sustainable product on the field. I've been a huge Aaron Rodgers fan since day one, but I have no desire to see this team saddle itself with a deal from which it could take years to recover if things go awry. I'd rather see them trade Rodgers away for whatever they can get and take their chances with a young guy in the next draft.

Aaron Rodgers is great — indeed, he's been elite at times — but if not even Tom Motherfuckin' Brady has earned the right to have his cake and eat it too, I don't see how Aaron Rodgers could possibly be considered worthy of the kind of unprecedented control and autonomy that a fiscally responsible team can only see as a ticking time bomb. Something has to give in this negotiation. If Rodgers wants the right to walk away whenever he feels like it, then he needs to be willing to take a lot less guaranteed money and tie a lot more of his compensation to performance. And I have to think that's how Gutekunst and Ball will see it too.

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Play out his contract, then Franchise him. Maybe trade him that last year.

What do we mean by “player option,” precisely? I mean, look at this national anthem situation. Management seems to hold all the cards right now. The players don’t seem to be collectively strong.

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I believe a player option is a provision in a player's contract that allows him to opt out of the contract at a certain point. It happens pretty regularly in the NBA, but it's never happened in the NFL before.

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So this guy is speculating on So called "rumors" flying about.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Today's media is just ridiculous.
Everyone has to have their story.
When there isn't one, hell just throw in the phrase "rumours " or "unnamed sources" and write whatever you feel.

I said before the draft either pay him or trade him.
The longer they wait, the more the contract will be.
I haven't heard Aaron making any demands.

The one thing I know is QB's like Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers don't just don't come around very often.

Pay the man what the market bears or risk having to look for years for the next franchise QB.

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fake news. It ain't gonna happen. Not in GB. Not with AR. If a player gets an opt out contract (They have them in the MLB too) it will start elsewhere. Dallas, LA, NY would be likely places.

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Why would we sign him to a 5 year contract and give up control when we can keep him for the next 4 seasons and not give up any control?

Imagine what Ted would do in this situation. 😂 👍

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Pretty sure kaepernick opted out of his contract only to find out no one wanted him. Or is there some technicality that makes this different?

You're right -- Kaepernick did negotiate an opt-out clause into his two-year contract with the 49ers. In that sense, the source I was looking at was apparently incorrect in its assertion that an opt-out would be unprecedented. It's important to note, though, that in exchange for the opt-out clause, Kaepernick received no guaranteed money for the second season -- or to be more precise, his 46-man roster bonuses were converted to guaranteed salary if and only if he did not elect to opt out. Of course, seeing the writing on the wall, he did opt out and therefore forfeited every penny of his second year's salary.

And that was ultimately my point. Everyone seems to think Aaron Rodgers is going to sign for the biggest wad of guaranteed money in league history, which may very well happen -- but only if he doesn't demand an opt-out clause. There's no way the team will agree to give him both an opt-out clause and a gigantic amount of guaranteed cash. He's going to have to choose one or the other, and I doubt it will be too difficult a decision for him to make. Sure, with an opt-out clause in hand, he might luck out and be able to walk out of Green Bay into another blockbuster contract somewhere else; or he just as easily could end up cut after sustaining a major injury, having left a ton of money on the table.

Aaron Rodgers isn't stupid. I'm pretty sure he'll take the cash.

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Seems to be more likely to have a clause that triggers an adjustment (see: Raise) than an opt out. No way we let him ever become a free agent.