Apr 30, 2023; New York, New York, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers walks off the court after game one of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference semifinal playoffs between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers, the renowned quarterback who shifted base to New York a little who ago, has now decided to take a massive pay cut. While many experts reckon that Aaron’s act of philanthropy is a return gift to the Jets who got the QB exactly the teammates he wanted, insider Mike Florio reckons that the smart footballer’s $35,000,000 gift is taking him closer to a minority ownership in the franchise.

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Aaron was due to make a whopping $11o million in guaranteed money over the next two years. However, as per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the QB reworked his deal with the unit and settled for $75 million as guaranteed money. Aaron revealed that he is enjoying himself in New York and believes that his relationship with the franchise will extend beyond one season. To ensure this, he had no problems in accepting such a massive pay cut. However, Mike Florio reckons Aaron is playing the long game.

Mike FLorio Reckons That Aaron Rodgers’ $35,000,000 Gift to the Jets Might be a Part of the QB’s Bigger Plan

Pro-Football Talk Live co-host Mike Florio recently went on the ‘Dan Patrick Show’ where the two veteran of NFL media talked in detail about Aaron’s “philanthropic” act of taking a $35 million pay cut. While Dan claimed that it is a nice gesture from Aaron to give his franchise some breathing space, Mike reckons that the QB will certainly make all of it back in the near future.

Mike claimed, “Ben Fisher of Sports Business-Journal reported that the NFL has passed a law preventing team owners from giving players equity. In the aftermath of that report surfacing, I leant that when Aaron Rodgers was reconfiguring his contract with the Jets, he was trying to get equity in the franchise.”

Florio then went on to claim that the Jets could have easily dealt with the salary cap issue in the future, after loading their team up with superstars this year, and the year after that. This means that the veteran QB’s multi-million dollar gift to Jets owner Woody Johnson is a step towards Aaron buying a minority stake in the franchise after a few years, reckoned Florio.

 

Mike also suggested other possible reasons which might have persuaded the former Green Bay QB to drop such a hefty amount from his contract.

Mike Florio Reckons Aaron Rodgers Will Earn the Money he Gifted the Jets in the Near Future

Dan Patrick claimed that in any case, Aaron’s gesture deserves appreciation as he could have easily kept his deal, and then maybe had tried securing a stake after his playing stint ended. While Mike didn’t disagree with Dan, he claimed that Aaron is a smart and strategic guy who must have weighed all the positives and negatives before dropping $35 million from his contract.

Mike stated that by doing so, in the eyes of the fans, media, and the front office, Aaron has established his image as an “unselfish guy who is willing to help the team“. The NFL insider added that Rodgers is going to make all this money back in the future anyway. Moreover, because he is now a good guy who thinks about the team, not a lot of people are going to ask tough questions from him.

All in all, Florio reckons that Rodgers agreeing to a restructured deal might have been a part of the QB’s plan to establish a legacy in New York, which in turn will lead him into acquiring a minority stake in the franchise one day.