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Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, and 2 other star QBs are being paid $191 million to sit out the playoffs

Ashish Priyadarshi
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Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, and 2 other star QBs are being paid $191 million to sit out the playoffs

Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, and 2 other big names are being paid the big bucks, but unfortunately, they won’t be cashing in that money in the NFL playoffs.

NFL contracts have gotten bigger and bigger as every year comes around. Teams are willing to pay their players far more than before, and contracts have risen to match the value that certain players are producing.

The NFL used to lag behind the NBA when it came to these massive deals, but now, they’re bridging the gap, and when it comes to quarterbacks, nobody gets paid more than them.

$50 million used to be a surreal thought before. However, now, it’s a reality. As years pass on, the NFL will start paying its players more than before, and someday, we may even find ourselves discussing contracts worth in excess of $60 or $70 million a year.

However, money doesn’t always translate to success.

Also Read: Sean Payton NFL: Revisiting Saints’ head coach’s role in ‘Bountygate Scandal’ and how he lost $7.8 million

$194 million worth of quarterbacks missed the playoffs including Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson

Who are the top four highest-paid quarterbacks in the league right now? The answer may surprise you. At number one, Aaron Rodgers tops the list with an average salary of $50 million a year.

In second place, Russell Wilson’s contract is worth $49 million a year. In third and fourth place, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson are tied for a contract worth $46 million a year. So, the top four highest-paid quarterbacks in the league are Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray, and Deshaun Watson.

Notice a common pattern between the four? These four quarterbacks have a combined salary of $191 million, and yet, all four of them missed the playoffs the season.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers struggled to find an offensive groove after letting go of Davante Adams, and the team couldn’t beat the Lions in week 18 to secure a playoff spot.

Russell Wilson and the Broncos struggled consistently through the year. Wilson had a career-worst year in terms of passing, and the Broncos will really hope that he can turn things around next year.

Deshaun Watson was suspended for the majority of the year, and when he came back, it definitely looked like he was shaking off some rust as the previous passing leader struggled to find his footing with his new team.

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals had a disappointing season that was defined by poor coaching and injuries. Coming back healthy next year will be the biggest priority for Murray and the Cardinals.

Also Read: Tom Brady to the Dolphins? Could Miami move on from Tua Tagovailoa and nab the NFL GOAT

About the author

Ashish Priyadarshi

Ashish Priyadarshi

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Ashish Priyadarshi is The SportsRush's content manager and editor. Ashish freelanced for 1 year in the NFL division before taking on an editorial role in the company. He then tacked on managing content while adding on a writing role in the NBA division. Ashish has been closely following the NFL and NBA since the 2012 season when the Patriots lost the Super Bowl and Derrick Rose was at the height of his powers. Since then, Ashish has focused on honing his knowledge for both leagues in, even writing crossover pieces. In his free time, Ashish is an avid basketball player, he loves to watch movies and TV shows, immersing himself in the cinematic world. Ashish studies computer science and data science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and would love to mesh his love for sports with his technical skills.

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