GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) — Though the Packers have consistently said they do not plan to trade disgruntled quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it has now become easier financially for them to do so should they have a change of heart.
June 1 is an important date on the NFL calendar. After June begins, it becomes easier financially for teams to move on from certain players.
If Green Bay had traded Rodgers prior to June 1, the team would have incurred a salary cap hit of around $31.6 million in dead money. If the team trades Rodgers now, it would take on only about $14.4 million in dead money and would actually save around $23 million.
"Dead money" is essentially an amount counting against a team's salary cap because of a player, even if that player is no longer on the roster due to a cut or a trade.
Those salary cap numbers are according to OverTheCap.com.
On the first day of the NFL Draft in late April, ESPN reported Rodgers no longer wanted to play for the Packers because of several disagreements with the front office.
The Packers' "big three" of Head Coach Matt LaFleur, General Manager Brian Gutekunst and President/CEO Mark Murphy have all publicly acknowledged a rift with the three-time MVP quarterback.
On April 29, Gutekunst said the Packers would not trade Rodgers. Last week after a Packers OTA practice, LaFleur said the Packers want Rodgers back "in the worst way." LaFleur had previously said he can't "wrap his brain around" Rodgers not being his quarterback.
Rodgers commented publicly about it for the first time in late May in an appearance on ESPN, saying his issues with the Packers are not necessarily about one specific move but more about the team's "philosophy."
The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders have been rumored as potential destinations for Rodgers, if the Packers were to reverse course and decide to trade the 37-year-old QB.
