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sports Diaranson 9 Maart 2022

Rodgers reportedly agrees to stay with Packers next season

(AP) — Aaron Rodgers is plan- ments with team management at the
ning to come back to the Green time. Rodgers said on multiple occa-
Bay Packers for an 18th season, sions over the last few months that
a move that keeps the reigning his relationship with team officials
MVP off the trade market and an- had improved significantly.
swers the question that had dom-
inated NFL offseason discussions. Rodgers’ plans had been the subject
of much speculation ever since the
NFL Network and Pat McAfee, the Packers traded up four spots to take
host of “The Pat McAfee Show” on Utah State quarterback Jordan Love
SiriusXM and YouTube, both report- with the 26th overall pick in the 2020
ed that Rodgers is returning to the draft. After referring to his future as
Packers next season. Rodgers makes a “beautiful mystery” late in the 2020
a weekly appearance on McAfee’s season, Rodgers skipped the Packers’
show during the season. organized team activities and man-
datory minicamp in a standoff with
NFL Network reported that the team management.
38-year-old Rodgers had agreed to a
four-year, $200 million contract that Rodgers reported for training camp
includes $153 million in guaranteed on time but acknowledged his future
money. McAfee disputed those num- with the organization was uncertain.
bers and said that “the contract has At the time, he said he wanted to have
not been done,” but added that Rod- a voice in the team’s decision-making
gers has agreed to return to the Pack- process.
ers.
Rodgers recently has frequently of- sought alternative treatments. LaFleur made a move seemingly
Rodgers’ decision comes nearly fered compliments about the moves aimed at keeping Rodgers when he
a month after he won his second general manager Brian Gutekunst Rodgers also dealt with a fractured brought back Tom Clements as quar-
straight MVP award. The four-time made to improve the team. Those left pinky toe for much of the year, terbacks coach. Rodgers had praised
MVP quarterback has spent his entire moves included acquiring wide re- but continued playing at an All-Pro the 68-year-old Clements, who pre-
career in Green Bay. ceiver Randall Cobb at Rodgers’ re- level. He threw 20 touchdown passes viously worked for the Packers from
quest. Rodgers said he got the sense with no interceptions over his final 2006-16 in roles that included quar-
He said he wanted to make an an- there was better communication this seven regular-season games. He led terbacks coach (2006-11), offensive
nouncement on his future before the season and that “I feel like my opin- the Packers to a 13-4 record and a coordinator (2012-14) and associate
start of the free agency period that ion mattered.” third straight NFC North champi- head coach/offense (2015-16). Rodg-
begins next week. The reports of his onship. ers lauded Clements on multiple oc-
decision surfaced the same day the Gutekunst agreed their relationship casions over the last year.
Packers face a deadline whether to was in a good place. But his season ended with a disap-
give All-Pro receiver Davante Adams pointing playoff performance. The Rodgers’ return would answer one
a franchise tag. Rodgers had a tumultuous 2021 sea- Packers scored a touchdown on the giant question for the Packers as they
son in a number of respects, particu- game’s opening series but never head into a critical offseason. They’re
Rodgers wanted to avoid a repeat of larly for comments he made about his reached the end zone again in the well over the salary cap and have sev-
2021, when his status was uncertain vaccination status. When asked before home loss to the 49ers. eral key players with expiring con-
until the start of training camp after the season whether he had been vac- tracts, including Adams.
he skipped the Packers’ mandatory cinated against COVID-19, Rodgers Packers coach Matt LaFleur,
minicamp. replied, “Yeah, I’m immunized.” But Gutekunst and president/CEO Mark Gutekunst has said he believes the
after testing positive during the sea- Murphy said after the season they all Packers could keep Rodgers and
The questions about his future son, Rodgers acknowledged he was wanted Rodgers back in 2022. Adams while building a contending
stemmed from Rodgers’ disagree- unvaccinated and said he instead had team around them.

NFL salary cap for 2022 increases by nearly $26M to $208.2M

(AP) - The NFL’s salary from the 2020 season. tag hit at $29.7 million. The Free agency officially be- The second-highest tag price
cap for 2022 will be $208.2 32 teams have until 4 p.m. gins Wednesday, March 16, is for linebacker at $18.7 mil-
million, a healthy increase Adding in benefits attached Tuesday to apply franchise though teams can negotiate lion, followed closely by wide
from the previous, pan- to the cap, teams will be al- tags, and some clubs already with player representatives receivers ($18.4 million), and
demic-impacted years. lowed to have a total player have done so. The deadline beginning Monday. Most big defensive ends ($17.85 mil-
cost of $284.367 million. for franchise-tagged players deals get done in the two days lion). Then come defensive
The cap is going up from to reach a long-term contract before the league year offi- tackles ($17.39 million), cor-
$182.5 million, which was Quarterbacks, of course, will with a team is July 15. cially starts. nerbacks ($17.28 million),
down by nearly $10 million have the highest franchise offensive linemen ($16.66
million), safeties ($12.91 mil-
lion), tight ends ($10.93 mil-
lion), running backs ($9.57
million) and kickers ($5.22
million).

Players who have been given
franchise tags thus far are
Kansas City tackle Orlando
Brown Jr., Cincinnati safety
Jessie Bates III, Miami tight
end Mike Gesicki, Dallas
tight end Dalton Schultz and
Cleveland tight end David
Njoku.