$25 million man?

[swede]

I'm not at all surprised, recent contracts for other QBs told us this was coming.

But if the numbers are accurate, I think it is a bad situation for the NFL to have gotten itself into. About 20% going to one player, when there are roughly 60-70 other players also needing to be paid? Matthews will likely get in excess of 10% himself. The disparity between a few and the majority will be huge. Some animosity is bound to arise.

Is that any different than the rest of our country? Oops, wrong room.

No hard cap in real life.

[Patler]

Is that any different than the rest of our country? Oops, wrong room.

In some ways - no, it isn't; but in many ways - yes, it is different, in my opinion.

[Spaulding]

Correct me if I'm wrong (likely possibility) but isn't Rodgers signed for another two years at around 12mil/year? If so, it simply means he's extended with a new average over the next six years to an average of just over 20mil/year which seems pretty reasonable. Especially if they front load a bit this year and then the cap goes up in 2015 with the new TV deal.

[woodbuck27]

I'm not at all surprised, recent contracts for other QBs told us this was coming.

But if the numbers are accurate, I think it is a bad situation for the NFL to have gotten itself into. About 20% going to one player, when there are roughly 60-70 other players also needing to be paid? Matthews will likely get in excess of 10% himself. The disparity between a few and the majority will be huge. Some animosity is bound to arise.

Gimme the pie !

[woodbuck27]

Correct me if I'm wrong (likely possibility) but isn't Rodgers signed for another two years at around 12mil/year? If so, it simply means he's extended with a new average over the next six years to an average of just over 20mil/year which seems pretty reasonable. Especially if they front load a bit this year and then the cap goes up in 2015 with the new TV deal.

Yes it has to be something like that.

He will get a massive gurantee but a flat out $25 million$ per season - whatever length extension - is simply outrageous money. I believe that the Green Bay Packers are smarter than that.

It doesn't make sense that Ted Thompson would want to lock this one up now. At the same time come closer to breaking the bank to sign Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers contract has to be considered as a business decision not a reward.

It cannot be anything like:

There look at that. Aaron Rodgers makes $25 million$ per year as he's the best QB in the NFL....best QB ever in the NFL or anything like that. Yes he deserves a top contract but not 25% more than the highest contract of any other NFL QB. Both sides should to be reasonable/fair in overall regards.

All NFL Team GM eyes's will be on this story. It's certainly an interesting one.

GO PACK GO !

[pbmax]

I could never figure out why an organization like the NFLPA allows the stars to dominate. Why wouldn't a majority of the players want a structure that prevented 40% of the money going to 10% of the players? It kind of is a team sport. Even the lamest guy is an elite athlete risking his life and future earnings at any other kind of job.

In baseball, the stars dominate without a cap and it helps drive the baseline for everyone else (except perhaps new draftees) through arbitration which broadly tries to compare like for like. So a pitcher with a brand new record deal helps anyone who can use it as a point of reference.

In football, the players never got the complete, functional transmission system and had to accept a cap to get what they did. Agents drive new highs and agents get the most leverage with QBs and high draft picks. The NFLPA just gave away the draft pick leverage in the last CBA.

I am sure there are multiple ways to alter the balance (higher minimums?) but its a tough spot. The NFLPA was never as effective as the MLBPA and the baseball owners made football owners look like Eisenhower, MacArthur and Patton.

The NFLPA did twice before propose going to a "let us distribute the pot of money model" scheme but owners, agents AND QBs hated that deal.

[pbmax]

And back on topic, don't read too much into the top line number. What matters is cash, guarantees and the first three years. The deal might say $25 mil per, but not actually achieve that until some unlikely to be seen out years.

I still hope they go the guaranteed route.

[QBME]

GMs that pay their players this much really are doubling down on their drafting ability. Getinng players in their rookie contracts to really play well is going to be even more important.

This

[Joemailman]

Yes it has to be something like that.

He will get a massive gurantee but a flat out $25 million$ per season - whatever length extension - is simply outrageous money. I believe that the Green Bay Packers are smarter than that.

It doesn't make sense that Ted Thompson would want to lock this one up now. At the same time come closer to breaking the bank to sign Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers contract has to be considered as a business decision not a reward.

It cannot be anything like:

There look at that. Aaron Rodgers makes $25 million$ per year as he's the best QB in the NFL....best QB ever in the NFL or anything like that. Yes he deserves a top contract but not 25% more than the highest contract of any other NFL QB. Both sides should to be reasonable/fair in overall regards.

All NFL Team GM eyes's will be on this story. It's certainly an interesting one.

GO PACK GO !

It makes perfect sense for Ted Thompson to lock up Rodgers now before the going price for elite QB's goes up any more. Joe Flacco getting 20M per year means that Rodgers, the NFL's best QB, will get more. By signing Rodgers to an extension, he gets to set the price instead of letting other teams determine what the price will be. What will Rodgers' value be if Jerry Jones signs Romo for 25 million (Just to use an example).

[MJZiggy]

Ignoring a problem won't make it go away, and yet ignorance is bliss.

I feel happily confused.

That's just the sedatives working their magic.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Teams have the same salary cap. Let the GMs figure out who is worth what. Quite frankly, a healthy Rodgers will make us a contender every year. Just like all elite QBs. He's more than worth it. Do you think the Vikings would give up Jared Allen and Greg Jennings (just throwing their names out there because they make $23M combined this year) to get Aaron Rodgers? Hell yeah, they would. I will say it is a huge advantage to get a few years of elite QB play for dirt cheap. Guys like Luck, Griffin, Kaepernick and Russell Wilson are very valuable.

[Guiness]

I'm not at all surprised, recent contracts for other QBs told us this was coming.

But if the numbers are accurate, I think it is a bad situation for the NFL to have gotten itself into. About 20% going to one player, when there are roughly 60-70 other players also needing to be paid? Matthews will likely get in excess of 10% himself. The disparity between a few and the majority will be huge. Some animosity is bound to arise.

I'm with you on this.

And I think that things might be shifting right now. While top QBs are getting stupid money (yes, it's stupid to pay 2% of your employees 20% of the money) it is making for relative bargains at other positions that just a few years ago were considered premium: tackles and CB. Those positions haven't decreased in value on the field!

If a team can effectively apply Oakland's money ball strategy, they will rule this league. Right now, team lucky enough to have good QBs on post 2010 rookie contracts are at the top of the pile. Sorry St-Louis. There are some guys in the 'surprised they are still FAs' thread that can really help teams...and had relatively cheaply compared to what teams would of had to pay for them a couple of years ago.

Coaches salaries are not included in the salary cap. I think teams will start to have more and more coaches (separate ILB and OLB coaches? Really?) and innovative, adaptable schemes, like the Wildcat and Pistol will become more prevalent.

[Patler]

And back on topic, don't read too much into the top line number. What matters is cash, guarantees and the first three years. The deal might say $25 mil per, but not actually achieve that until some unlikely to be seen out years.

I still hope they go the guaranteed route.

Not likely much difference if it is only a four year contract as they are reporting. Hard to play significant games in a contract that short, and not have it so transparent that it would be laughable.

[Patler]

Teams have the same salary cap. Let the GMs figure out who is worth what. Quite frankly, a healthy Rodgers will make us a contender every year. Just like all elite QBs. He's more than worth it. Do you think the Vikings would give up Jared Allen and Greg Jennings (just throwing their names out there because they make $23M combined this year) to get Aaron Rodgers? Hell yeah, they would. I will say it is a huge advantage to get a few years of elite QB play for dirt cheap. Guys like Luck, Griffin, Kaepernick and Russell Wilson are very valuable.

"Worth it" can have so many different implications, that I am not sure if I agree or disagree with you. From the business side, to generate fan excitement and all the associated income that comes with it, an identifiable star, especially a QB, is very important. From the football side and the goal of winning Super Bowls, I don't believe investing that much of all available resources in one or two players (if Matthews gets what we expect) is a good idea.

If the Packers really do invest 1/3 of their salary cap in just two players, they will be in a new era with respect to the rest of the roster. There will be a lot of useful players who will leave for salary cap reasons. Hopefully, they can keep the pipeline full with players on their first contracts. I wouldn't be as concerned, but the recent departures of McKenzie and Dorsey, and to a lesser extent Schneider, has totally revamped that area of their operation. Will they be as good as they were in identifying available talent? Better? Worse? Time will tell us.

[Patler]

I'm with you on this.

And I think that things might be shifting right now. While top QBs are getting stupid money (yes, it's stupid to pay 2% of your employees 20% of the money) it is making for relative bargains at other positions that just a few years ago were considered premium: tackles and CB. Those positions haven't decreased in value on the field!

If a team can effectively apply Oakland's money ball strategy, they will rule this league. Right now, team lucky enough to have good QBs on post 2010 rookie contracts are at the top of the pile. Sorry St-Louis. There are some guys in the 'surprised they are still FAs' thread that can really help teams...and had relatively cheaply compared to what teams would of had to pay for them a couple of years ago.

Coaches salaries are not included in the salary cap. I think teams will start to have more and more coaches (separate ILB and OLB coaches? Really?) and innovative, adaptable schemes, like the Wildcat and Pistol will become more prevalent.

Agreed. I think you can include WRs in the list of positions for which salaries seem to be under re-evaluation, although for WRs I think it is overdue.

Until recently, many of the highest paid players had salary cap impacts of around 15%, and their teams could work in several other players who were paid about half as much as the most expensive players. With one guy getting 20% of the cap, or two getting 1/3 of it, the others will have to be pretty cheap.

There is a bit of a squeeze going on from both ends, which may last a couple years yet, until new broadcast contracts kick in and the salary cap goes up. The cap has been flat for a couple years, but minimum salaries for all players have gone up. So even the cheapest players are getting a larger portion of the cap. Now, with a huge increase in the portion of the cap given to the Packers highest paid players, there is pressure on everyone below the top to push it toward the bottom, which itself is rising.

I am anxious to see the terms for Rodgers and Matthews if and when they happen. We might see some of the cap impact pushed out into the later years when cap limits are expected to rise.