Highest Paid NFL Player: Is Aaron Rodgers Now the Highest Earning Quarterback After Trade off to the Jets?

The Aaron Rodgers saga has finally come to an end after the announcement of his trade went public on Monday. He is undeniably the longest-serving quarterback for the Packers and one of the finest athletes to start games for the team. While the trade has been executed, it is important to analyze how much he will make in the upcoming season.

With this move, the Jets have become a prime-time subject for the 2023 campaign. After a long tenure of 15 years, the Packers have traded their starting quarterback, marking the end of an era. Rodgers played a significant role in changing the entire landscape of this franchise, winning them a Super Bowl title and guiding them to multiple playoff appearances.

Is Aaron Rodgers still the highest-paid quarterback in the league?

Ever since Super Bowl LVII wrapped up, the veteran quarterback has made headlines after revealing his intentions to play for a new team. While speaking on the Pat McAfee show, he clarified that it was none other than the New York Jets and that a trade was underway.

However, it took plenty of time for both sides to reach an agreement, especially because of A-Rod’s unplanned future. Finally, the news of trade getting finalized came out on Monday.

As this is a trade, both sides have agreed to exchange some draft picks and future securities while the compensation factor remains the same. Rodgers signed a three-year, $150 million contract with the Packers last year, and it is expected to continue for the upcoming campaigns.

He was one of the highest-paid stars until the Eagles quarterback surpassed him, bagging a five-year, $255 million deal this offseason. On average, he will draw more than $50 million per year, while Rodgers can reach a maximum value of $50 million, including incentives and other perks. Unfortunately, he no longer holds the top spot.

What picks were exchanged in this trade?

According to the reports shared by NFL analyst Ian Rapport and ESPN, the Packers have traded Aaron Rodgers, a 2023 first-round pick (No. 15), and a 2023 fifth-round pick (No. 170) to the Jets. In return, New York’s GM, Joe Douglas, has sacrificed a bunch of great picks in securities to compensate for the blockbuster move.

It includes a 2023 first-round pick (No. 13 overall), a 2023 second-round pick (No. 42 overall), and a 2023 sixth-round pick (No. 207 overall). Moreover, there is also a conditional second-round pick from the 2024 NFL draft, which activates if Rodgers plays for more than 65% of the upcoming season. Well, it looks quite achievable because A-Rod rarely misses any regular season games.

About the author

Deepesh Nair

Deepesh is an NFL consultant at The SportsRush. Having started his career in journalism as a trending news correspondent, he has ventured into the world of sports reporting, and NFL happens to be his area of expertise. While the iconic duo of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski excites him more than anything, he believes Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce might surpass the NFL greats someday. Apart from football, Deepesh loves following the royal game of Chess and cricket. Watching movies, coding, and fitness are some of his other pursuits off working hours.

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