Aaron Rodgers says one thing must change if he plays in 2023

“I don’t think there’d be a scenario where I’d come back and that would be the number. Definitely things would have to shift,” Rodgers said.

“There’s a lot of teams, because of COVID, that are strapped. And you’re seeing with a lot of different contracts, they’re pushing money out in deals. They’re creating certain kind of void years to allow for an easier cap hit. So there would have to be some adjustments for sure,” the Packers quarterback added.

Rodgers did not clarify whether he would restructure his contract or take a pay cut, but what’s clear is that he recognizes the financial terms of his deal would have to change.

Rodgers signed a 3-year, $150.815M restructured deal with the Packers last offseason. He has a $58.3M signing bonus for 2023 and a cap hit of $31.6M. His signing bonus has already been spread out until 2026.

If Rodgers does any more restructuring, his contracts will be counting against the Packers’ cap potentially for several years after his retirement. 

For a comparison, Drew Brees retired two years ago and still counted for $11.5M against the Saints’ cap in 2022 due to similar maneuvers.

Rodgers is 39 and has contemplated retirement the last few years. There is also a possibility that he returns for another season but seeks a trade.