Packers’ exec says long-term contract with Aaron Rodgers is ‘priority’

With Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco recently signing a huge long-term contract, the Packers know Aaron Rodgers will be looking for a big deal of his own.

by Chris Fuhrmeister

Mar 19, 2013, 6:33 PM UTC

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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers are trying to work out a long-term deal with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and would like to get it done this offseason, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Packers president Mark Murphy told Silverstein the deal would make Rodgers the NFL's highest-paid player.

“It’s a priority,” Murphy said. “I think as an organization, I think we all want to see that get done.”

Following the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl win in February, quarterback Joe Flacco signed a six-year, $120.6 million extension with the team, locking him up through the 2018 season. If Murphy's comment on making Rodgers the NFL's richest player is genuine, a new contract would have to exceed Flacco's astonishing deal.

More: Acme Packing Co.

Rodgers signed a seven-year, $65 million contract in 2008, which pays him an average of $9.75 million per year. That pales in comparison to the $20.1 million average throughout the length of Flacco’s deal.

If anyone is worthy of such an exorbitant contract, it’s Rodgers. He took over as the Packers’ starting quarterback in 2008, and since then, he’s been nothing short of sensational. As a starter, Rodgers has thrown for 21,332 yards, 170 touchdowns and 45 interceptions. His only season with fewer than 4,000 yards was 2010, when he had 3,922, and he has just 14 interceptions over the last two years. His biggest accomplishment, however, was leading Green Bay to a Super Bowl win in 2010.

Considering the Packers’ financial situation -- the team made a $42.7 million profit last season, per Silverstein -- giving Rodgers a huge contract shouldn’t cause Green Bay problems:

“It’s not an issue at all,” Murphy said. “I think we’ve talked through with Russ and Ted and we have more than enough resources to do whatever they need to do.”