Aaron Rodgers misses out on playoff incentives for odd reason

Thanks to a strange stipulation in his contract, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not eligible for his playoff incentives. The contract states that for Rodgers to earn his bonus, the team must improve its defensive/special teams touchdowns from the previous season.

The Packers entered Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions with two defensive touchdowns on the season. They needed just one more to surpass their total from 2020. However, Green Bay failed to deliver in a 37-30 loss.

Rodgers finished the game 14-of-18 passing for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan Love took his place in the second half as Rodgers, who has a fractured toe, rested for the playoffs.

If the defense scored, Aaron Rodgers would have been eligible to earn an additional $125,000 per game in playoff incentives. That is on top of the more than $22 million he was already guaranteed for this year.

Although it is certainly disappointing for the veteran quarterback, he still has a chance to earn more incentives depending on how far the team goes. A trip to the NFC Championship would make him $130,000 more, while a Super Bowl appearance nets $150,000.

This year is an important one for both Rodgers and the Packers. If things don’t go as planned, the quarterback has a way out of his contract for 2022.

Green Bay clinched the top seed in the NFC in Week 17, guaranteeing itself a bye in the first round. Rodgers and the Packers are eyeing the first Super Bowl victory since 2010, when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coming off of an MVP season, Rodgers has picked up where he left off in 2021. Entering Sunday, the quarterback had thrown for 3,977 yards and 35 touchdowns.

The Packers ended the season with a 13-4 record and now have their eyes set on the playoffs. They will play whoever is the lowest seed to advance to the second round from the wild card. Green Bay currently has the best Super Bowl odds of any team in the NFL at +350.