Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets agree on new two-year contract
The New York Jets and star quarterback Aaron Rodgers have agreed to terms on a new contract which will keep the 39-year-old in the Big Apple through 2024.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, it’s a two-year deal worth $75 million guaranteed. Rodgers, acquired from the Green Bay Packers earlier this offseason, had nearly $110 million guaranteed remaining on his old deal in Green Bay.
Pelissero added further details on Rodgers’ new deal:
“Aaron Rodgers’ new contract is technically a five-year deal, including two option years to spread out bonus proration and create a 2023 cap number of just under $9 million,” Pelissero tweeted. “Maximum flexibility for the #Jets to build around him.”
The deal reflects the words from Rodgers Wednesday, in which the four-time NFL MVP said he didn’t envision his Jets career being one-and-done.
“Definitely some of it is how much fun I’m having. It’s all about the body. How my body feels,” Rodgers, who turns 40 in December, told reporters, via Randy Lange of the team’s website. “The team gave up significant pieces for it to be a one-year deal, I’m aware of that. Now again, anything can happen with my body or with the success we have this year. But I’m having a blast, so I don’t really see this as a one-year-and-done thing.”
Coming off back-to-back MVP campaigns, Rodgers threw for 3,695 yards with 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2022. After a season which saw Rodgers working with rookie receivers such as Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, he walks into a room which features up-and-coming star wideout Garrett Wilson, as well as Allen Lazard, who caught passes from Rodgers the last five seasons in Green Bay.
Jets WR Garrett Wilson took ‘full advantage’ of offseason with Aaron Rodgers
Wilson, named 2022 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year after hauling in 83 receptions for 1,103 yards, said in a recent interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio he’s starting to get comfortable with Rodgers.
“When you have a new signal-caller coming in and new quarterback, you just want to be able to get those reps and bookmark certain routes together. And we got a chance to do that,” Wilson said. “It was awesome to be able to throw with him and go against a defense with him leading the charge, and see how he sees the defense, and spend time with him in the film room — all those things. The culmination of all those things hopefully leads to our success down the road.
“We’re going to try to keep building upon that. We have a small sample size together. But we feel like we took full advantage of the time we did have together. That’s all we could do.”
Wilson, New York’s 2022 first-round selection (10th overall) out of Ohio State, added he just “want[s] to learn as much as possible” from Rodgers.
“I just want to learn as much as possible,” Wilson said. “He knows that. He knows all of us grew up watching him play. The way he carries himself is like you’d expect. He’s a champion, he’s a former champion, he’s a great player, all-time great and he carries himself as such. So, it’s been great to be around him, for sure.”