Whether or not main quarterback Aaron Rodgers and star outside receiver Devante Adams ultimately stay, the Green Bay Packers will have one thing to accomplish ahead of the upcoming free agent market — cut back pay space. Their total salary has exceeded the hard salary cap by more than $50 million, ranking second in the league after the Saints Deficit! In this case they had to do everything they could to save money, such as restructuring the contract of star running back Aaron Jones.
The packers just retained Jones for four years and $48 million on a big contract last season, and according to the contract requirements, his salary will reach $8.9 million this season, double his salary last season. But after restructuring the contract, the packers have converted $3.85 million of his salary into a signing bonus, while adding two years to his contract to free up pay space.
After two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, Jones' output declined in the 2021 season, and although he missed 2 games due to an internal collateral ligament sprain, he still contributed 1190 yards and 10 dashes. And the packer had become more and more skilled in his use with another running back, Dylan.
But even so, packers still have a lot of work to do. They just completed a similar contract restructuring with defensive interceptor Kenny Clark a day ago, freeing up nearly $11 million in salary space, and with the money saved by the Jones contract restructuring, the Packers still have to free up about $32 million! And you know, Adams's future is still up in the air, and if he stays in the packers, he will eat up about $19 million in salary.
At the same time, if Rogers stays in the Packers, he will inevitably face an extension of the contract period, and perhaps the Packers will face a very difficult choice, even cutting off defensive giants Preston Smith and Zadalius Smith.
(Aibao)