Packers’ Rodgers Closing in on Huge Extension

When Brett Favre “retired” from the Packers, it seemed as if the green and gold might suffer without number four under center. A position that had been so stable for the franchise was looking to be one of the weakest in the blink of an eye.

Enter Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers has certainly exceeded expectations and has now cemented himself as one of the great signal callers to play the game. The 2005 first round draft choice was the second quarterback taken that year, behind now Chiefs QB Alex Smith; a choice that is looking better and better every year.

After three seasons sitting behind Favre, a future Hall of Famer, Rodgers finally got his chance as a full-time starter in 2008.

Rodgers’ first year in the league was certainly bothersome, especially to a franchise that has built a reputation of winning. One year removed from a 13-3 record, the Rodgers-led Packers finished with a mediocre record of 6-10.

In 2009, Rodgers blossomed into the quarterback of the future for the Packers, willing his team to a record of 11-5 before losing in the Wild Card round to the eventual Super Bowl runner-up Cardinals, featuring an offense laden with stars like Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin.

Since then, Rodgers has earned three trips to the Pro Bowl, an NFL MVP award in 2011, and a Super Bowl XLV win and MVP in 2010 over a dominant Steelers roster. Rodgers has also set the record for highest completion percentage at 65.7% and highest posted QB rating of 122.5.

Perhaps in a move of good faith, ESPN reports that the Green Bay Packers are working out a deal with the dynamic Rodgers that would make him the latest player to hold the title of  “richest QB in league history,” sorry Joe Flacco. The team announced earlier in the week that signing Rodgers to a new contract was a priority before getting underway with the 2013 season.

While there are no specifics regarding the proposed extension, league sources are speculating that Rodgers could approach figures near the $25 million per year range. As of now, there is not speculation as to if that figure falls within the  “discount double-check” price-range or not.

Rodgers currently has two years left on his current deal that pays out at nearly $10 million a season, but the team is looking to lock up some of their franchise players like Clay Matthews, B.J. Raji, and the aforementioned Rodgers. GM Ted Thompson has avoided spending tons of money in free agency, a move that will certainly make these contracts more manageable than expected, not to mention the cap space that would be cleared up.

The Packers are smart to try and lock up a player of Rodgers’ caliber before he enters a contract year. Fans have seen a major decline in talent in Baltimore as a result of the mega-deal that was signed by Joe Flacco. Management might be able to save themselves some money by getting a deal done sooner rather than later with the 29 year-old superstar.

“I don’t want to put a deadline on it, but it’s going to happen,” Packers President Mark Murphy said.

Ironically, the next priority after working out the details that would lock up Rodgers long-term is to retire the number of the man that came before him. It appears as if the retirement process for Favre’s number 4 is getting close as well. History may be repeating itself, and this new deal has all of the makings of Rodgers joining Favre as a “Packer for Life.”