FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers' fleeting thoughts of retirement have faded away into the darkness.
The four-time NFL MVP is refreshed and re-energized with the New York Jets. And after signing a new deal, Rodgers expects to keep playing football a while longer.
“This is going to be a few years partnership,” he said Tuesday. “And after that, hopefully there’s not a huge kind of cap issue. That’s why we didn’t need to backload it or put any special escalator, strange things in the contract to weigh down the organization after I’m done playing.”
Which Rodgers repeatedly has said he doesn't expect to be after this season. It all depends on how his body feels, of course, and whether the Jets have what he described as a “special” year — in other words, win the Super Bowl.
But even if Rodgers does lead the franchise to where only Joe Namath has brought them in 1969, he sounds very much like someone committed to playing beyond just one season. And that comes after he said in February he was 90% certain he was going to retire before he entered his darkness retreat in Oregon.
Last week, Rodgers agreed to a restructured contract that gives him $75 million in fully guaranteed money over this season and next. It amounts to a nearly $35 million pay cut from the deal he had with Green Bay in which he was scheduled to make $110 million in guarantees.
“There wasn’t a whole lot of process to it,” Rodgers said. “It was like a million something this year and 100 and something (million) next year. It obviously never would have worked.”
Instead, Rodgers agreed to help the Jets free some space by not jamming up the salary cap over the next two years. It also gives New York the ability to sign and trade players who could help get to where the franchise and the one-time Super Bowl MVP want to go.
“This, to me, is a win-win-win for everybody,” he said. "Win for me, I get paid a ton of money. Win for the team, we get a low cap number and deferred some cash. Win for other guys that we can bring in and sign.
“And I have no complaints. I’m not missing it at all.”
Rodgers won't play Thursday night when the Jets kick off their preseason schedule by playing the Cleveland Browns in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. But the 39-year-old quarterback — who would appear to be a shoo-in for induction five years after he retires from playing — is looking forward to checking out the shrine.
Even if he's not allowing himself to think about whether the next time he visits could be when he's on stage wearing a gold jacket and standing next to his bronze bust.
“I don’t know about that,” Rodgers said. “I mean, that’s going to be a while. I’m going play a few more years and then it will be five after that, so who knows what’s going to happen in eight or nine years — that’s a long way off.”
By that math, not only is Rodgers thinking about playing the next two seasons, but possibly even a third or more?
“I don’t know, I’m taking it one year at a time,” he said. “I’d love to play as long as I can. As long as it’s fun, as long as my body feels good, as long as they want me, yeah, I’d love to keep it rolling.”
NOTES: Jets coach Robert Saleh said Zach Wilson will get the start against the Browns, but they were still discussing how long he'll play. Tim Boyle and Chris Streveler are likely to see significant snaps in the game that will feature backups on both sides. ... WR Corey Davis (illness) and DL John Franklin-Myers (groin) returned to practice. ... Saleh said WR Garrett Wilson could be back practicing Saturday after missing a few days with a sprained right ankle.
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