Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings set the dumbass bar. Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons raised it on Thursday.
The Falcons gave Ryan a new contract that averages $30 million per season and includes $100 million guaranteed. That raises the quarterback pay scale from Cousins’ $28 million annually and his $84 million guaranteed.
I mean, wow.
Anyway, Aaron Rodgers was sitting around waiting for these two clowns to sign new contracts before he signs his. That deal has been happening “soon” since February. Here’s the obvious statement. The Packers want to make Rodgers the highest-paid player in the game. Rodgers obviously wants to be the highest-paid player in the game. In order to make that happen, everyone had to sit on their hands until the other quarterbacks worked out their deals.
I’ll mention this one more time. Rodgers was angry that the Packers released Jordy Nelson. Yet, Rodgers could have saved that guy, his buddy, had he signed his extension back in, say… February.
It’s a business though. For everyone, not just the teams.
With Ryan getting $30 million annually, Rodgers will have to get something like $31 million annually. He’ll also need to at least meet, if not surpass that $100 million guaranteed.
Is all of this absurd? Yes, it is, but that is the NFL.