Yes, you read that right. Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is now the richest player in football.
The Lions handed out a five-year contract worth $135 million on Monday. That puts Stafford at $27 million annually, which tops the deal Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr signed during the offseason. Carr’s new deal put him at $25 million annually.
While Stafford is a good enough quarterback, he’s never won a playoff game. He also doesn’t even have a .500 career record.
What’s more important here for our purposes, is this pushes Aaron Rodgers even further down the NFL’s salary list. Rodgers is currently eighth in the NFL in average salary at $22 million per season.
While he’s been playing it cool when talking about the potential of a deal, this may change things. There have been rumors that Stafford’s deal could end up being Rodgers’ breaking point.
Meanwhile, it sure seems like the Packers want to wait a couple years before giving Rodgers another extension. His current deal runs through the 2019 season.
And if this Stafford deal doesn’t blow your mind, there is also already talk that Rodgers could become the NFL’s first $200 million player.
Here is where things get interesting. I am not sold the organization wants to resign AR. Sure, he has helped carry this organization for years, but think about how this organization works. They always work on the cheap. Perhaps someone with knowledge (Howard) can give details, but there is an out in Rodgers contract after this year, not sure if it is a team or player option, According to spotrac. Now, I am beginning to wonder about why the packers are giving Hundley so much playing time. Sure, they could be trying to show him off to other teams. But part of me wonders if they are trying to determine what they have in him and whether they move on from Aaron Rodgers after this year. Its enough to make me wonder. PF4L, what do you think? (Besides the fact that this would likely be idiotic)
I am on the record as saying Brett Hundley WILL be the packers next QB
I don’t like it but I believe it..I have for awhile
I don’t like it either. But I really am suspicious of how they are playing Hundley. And the fact Hill got no playing time in this last game.
I really think the Packers were just trying to showcase Hundley for trade value, and to give more reps. I think Hill is the #3 QB until Hundley is gone.
The thing about AR’s contract is after this year there is no dead cap hit to the Packers if Rodgers was traded. I don’t think the team would trade Rodgers, but If I was AR’s agent I would not want to go into next season without a new contract. That is unless Rodgers wants out.
I don’t want to speak for PF4L but as he has said before TT and MM know Rodgers is their meal ticket. As a life long fan of the team and a rabid viewer of most NFL games I would not want to see Rodgers go anywhere for the foreseeable future.
I don’t want to see Rodgers go anywhere by any means either. Hundley may be a decent QB, but being as good as Rodgers? I highly doubt it.
Well, here it is, after the game i said i’d get into the marketing of Hundley like i promised. As usual, Howard is among the top three most informed Packer fans on this site. I’ll try to keep this from being a novel.
As i’m watching the game Saturday and getting physically sick listening to Rich Gannon. I’m thinking , the Packers are padding this guys numbers, and i wouldn’t be surprised if Gannon was given a directive to build up Hundley.
So i’m watching Hundley and decide to check out how far his passes travel to the receiver from the line of scrimmage, just to the receiver, not YAC. So i tracked this(DVR) while i always record Packer games, though i never take notes, which i should. Bear with me here….
His long was 17 yards to Davis, his 2nd longest was 7 yards to Rodgers, next was a 6 yarder to Mcaffrey, next was two 5 yarders to Cobb, Kendricks, the rest of Hundleys passes were all 0-4 yards.
So yea….you can’t get much more high percentage than that.
Disclaimer: My recording ended early and i missed the last few minutes.
Here’s a quote from Gannon trying to market Hundley during the game….”He’s so much better that what Jacksonville has…i mean, it’s not even close. But they committed a ton of dollars and resources to Blaine Gabbert.”
I shouldn’t have to explain to most of you, where Gannon went south with that statement.
Imagine what they could if they trade him away..All those draft picks could sure give a NEW GM a hell of a start to his OWN legacy.
…. and our friend PF4L has had a concussions out of the previous comments. I don’t feel the team wants to trade Rodgers. The problem would be if Rodgers gets the (probably right) impression that he won’t get another ring with this management and looks to build his legacy somewhere else.
lol
I would put nothing past this management at this point. It is just a theory. Sure, maybe Rodgers may be their meal ticket, but I am sure they have heard that. But maybe they don’t believe it. Remember, TT and this organization would have you believe they do no wrong. Idk, it is easy to say on the surface that they are trying to market Hundley. But remember this team hasn’t exactly been a QB factory lately. Flynn was a flop outside of this organization and I am sure that teams remember that. The packers were supposedly offered a 4th round pick. I don’t see them doing much better than that for a player with basically no regular season experience. This isn’t a Jimmy Garapolo situation the packers have, and I think they probably know this. Besides, they are also gambling on the possibility that he gets hurt as well and therefore loses pretty much all trade value. Also, keep in mind this next QB class is supposed to be a good one, and a rebuilding team would probably rather handpick a QB in the draft that they like than give up a valuable draftpick. Idk, I hope it is the past concussions causing paranoia in my brain.
If there is a way to fuck this whole situation up TT and Murphy will find it!
We will eventually have to deal with the end of Rodgers’ career at some point. My concern with this administration is the lack of commitment to win. I could see the band breaking up much sooner than McCarthy’s desire to stay on an additional 12 years. Especially if they get rid of Rodgers early. They can all decide to exit stage left, leaving the mess they created for others to fix. I don’t know if the Packers could withstand and recover from another 25 years of futility in today’s NFL.
I also don’t want to go back to 25 years of futility because the Packers would likely never win another Super Bowl in my lifetime. Younger fans that never had to live through the desolate years of ineptness are going to be sorely disappointed in what comes after Rodgers, because we are all witnessing arguably the finest all around QB to ever play the game. And this administration is taking this period in Packer history for granted as borne out by their complacency and the lack of urgency in correcting their shortcomings.
The Packers won’t “be just fine” without Rodgers. While they may look adequate during the preseason, no number of Brett Hundley’s or Taysum Hill’s are ever going to replicate or replace what Rodgers is doing as a QB today. If Ted and company want to cut bait in order to save a buck with an eye toward the future, their entire tenure should be marked with an asterisk. They should then be branded with scarlet letters on their way out of town, because that would be god damned disgraceful and tacky to treat Rodgers like that over money.
I agree Empac…
Looking adequate in a few pre-season games, is world’s away from being a top 2 NFL QB for the last 9 years.
As far as trading Rodgers, on the risk and fear of losing brain cells, i refuse to engage in that dialogue.
In no way shape or form, will the 3 stooges ever willingly let Rodgers go. The only way Rodgers leaves, is if Rodgers decides to leave, on his terms. I don’t know Rodgers, but i’m fairly certain he is 100% committed to winning Championships. If he ever decided to leave because he didn’t believe this team had the same commitment, i would hold no ill will towards him. He wouldn’t leave this team in a ugly fashion i don’t believe, as he had a front row seat learning what not to do.
If Rodgers left, which i don’t think will ever happen until he retires. I’d be thankful we had him for the time we did. Although some of us are slower to realize what we have, and how good this dude is. They will once he retires, guaranteed.
Does anyone know why McCarthy has had scars (wounds) under his eyes? I haven’t seen or heard anything about it.
Haven’t seen anything on it. I saw your comment previously and looked at the press conference. My first thought was some type of sinus procedure. But that is just a guess.
He’s had that for awhile now. I was thinking maybe a reporter was waiting for him out by his car. Wouldn’t shock me.