Green Bay Packers team president Mark Murphy passed on an opportunity to provide clarification on the status of Aaron Rodgers’ contract, an on-going mystery dominating the team’s start to the new league year.
Murphy was asked about the contract several times on Tuesday but declined each time to offer any specifics, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
Murphy said the Packers were able to “create room with others,” noting the contract restructures completed with six other veteran players to clear cap space earlier this month.
No veteran contract provided a bigger opportunity to clear cap space than Rodgers’ deal, but the Packers haven’t touched it, possibly by design.
Rodgers has three years left on his deal, but the Packers have clear-cut ways of getting out of the contract and clearing a significant amount of cap space as soon as 2022, creating a delicate situation entering next season, especially with Jordan Love – the team’s first-round pick in 2020 – waiting in the wings.
Rodgers was the NFL’s MVP last season, and an extension – or even some kind of simple restructure – could help ensure he’s not going into next year with the immediate threat of being replaced in 2022.
Murphy and the Packers might not want to tip their hand, although revealing work on a possible extension would help clarify the mystery and establish the team’s long-term plan at quarterback.
The Packers have likely decided between two options: playing out the deal year by year, with all options open, or committing to Rodgers long-term with an extension, which would take time to complete.
