Aaron Rodgers Earned $81 In Incentive Pay From Jets For Four Plays In 2023

New York Jets fans were heartbroken when their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, tore his left Achilles tendon after just four plays in last season’s opener.

As Rodgers gears up for a more extended season this fall, his incentive payment from those four snaps in 2023 has been revealed to the public. Rodgers’ total came out to… a remarkable $81.14. He probably won’t even notice that he got paid at all.

NFL salaries can be a complex system figuring out what parts of players’ contracts are guaranteed money and what parts change in restructuring and playing incentives. We know that players can earn extra money based on playtime and performance, which benefits their bank accounts and often their longevity in the NFL. Players like Rodgers in 2023, who play only a few snaps before a season-ending injury, will earn little from the NFL’s performance-based payment system.

Rodgers’ $81.14 earned in 2023 could have been something like an extra $739,765 in incentives that San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy earned for the 2023-24 season. Another example is former Baltimore Ravens guard John Simpson, who finished first in the program after signing with the Jets this offseason. Simpson earned an extra $974,613 for playing 99% of offensive snaps in 2023. Simpson is an example of a player who earned a lot more for playing many snaps despite having a low base salary.

Before starting the 2023 season, Rodgers signed a two-year $75 million deal with the Jets, guaranteed through 2024. He had $110 million guaranteed in his old contract with the Green Bay Packers, taking a $35 million pay cut to play in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Next season, Rodgers plans to play a lot more and give the playoff-hopeful Jets a real run in the AFC. If he is able to do so, his paycheck might look a little bit different.