Why did Aaron Rodgers decide to take a pay cut in order to join the New York Jets?

When one considers his recent comments about why he agreed to reduce his wages, it would appear that Rodgers not only wanted to play with a new team but also wanted to ensure that said team understood that he didn’t want to undermine its ability to be competitive.

Aaron Rodgers agrees to a $35 million pay cut

When Aaron Rodgers was traded by the Green Bay to the New York Jets, the franchise received several picks in exchange for the four-time MVP, however, where Rodgers’ salary was concerned there was still much work to be done. That’s to say that Rodgers had to agree to move a $58.3 million option bonus to 2024, meaning he is now owed in excess of $107 million for 2024. With that in mind, one can appreciate that Rodgers officially agreeing to the new deal on Wednesday is big news indeed.

According to reports, Rodgers will now put pen to paper on a two-year deal with $75 million guaranteed through 2024. It’s worth noting that this new contract is technically a five-year deal, but includes two option years to spread out bonus proration. With the 2023 cap number reportedly sitting just below $9 million, the Jets now have some degree of flexibility where building their roster is concerned. In total, Rodgers will be taking a pay cut of roughly $35 million given that his old contract had almost $110 million guaranteed.

What did Aaron Rodgers say about the pay cut?

Speaking with the media, Rodgers spoke of not wanting to damage the team’s ability to build a better roster, while also alluding to the idea that he envisions a long-term future in New York. “The team gave up significant pieces for it to just be a one-year deal,” Rodgers said. “I’m aware of that. ...Anything could happen with my body or the success we have this year, but I’m having a blast, so I really don’t see this as a one-year-and-done thing.” If we get into the specifics of what the Jets gave up, you can see how this makes sense. Consider for a moment that in exchange for Rodgers, the team had to drop two spots in the 2023 NFL Draft first round (from 13 to 15), give up a second-round pick (42nd overall in 2023), and a 2024 conditional second-round pick that becomes a first-round pick if he plays 65% of the snaps in 2023. Indeed, that’s precisely what Rodgers wanted to address by agreeing to a salary cut.

“What it comes down to is...it was the right thing that made me feel best,” Rodgers said. “I thought it was important they knew how committed I was. And in my conversations with [GM] Joe [Douglas], he has made it very clear the vision for the football team. You probably agree with this. This year, compared to like 2005, the amount of transactions that happen now with guys getting cut and the amount of trades -- way more than before. Big names move at the trade deadline now. I wanted to make sure that if somebody valuable came available that we’d be able to get him. I’m very happy with the contract. I feel great about it.”

Has Aaron Rodgers made the right choice?

While the jury is understandably still out on this one, there are some factors in play that make for interesting reading. Firstly, Rodgers is about to embark on a campaign with a new team for the first time in more than 18 seasons, as he attempts to take another shot at a Super Bowl. Not only that but he’s taken a significant pay cut to do so. There’s another notable quarterback who did something similar when he signed a two-year, $50 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, only to win a Super Bowl in his first season, and that was Tom Brady.

As one of just five quarterbacks in history to have won three or more MVPs, Rodgers is part of an elite group, and even more so when you consider that each of the other four played for several teams. Yet, these are simply things to consider. Ultimately, what can be regarded as fact is the notion that at 39 years old Rodgers is playing some of his best football, is happy doing so, and has just demonstrated that he’s more of a team player than ever. If the Jets as an organization can return the favor by making smart moves with the increased freedom that he’s given them in the market, they could well be the team to beat when the 2023-24 NFL season kicks off.