The Packers converted $14.26M of Aaron Rodgers’ 2020 $19.5M roster bonus into a signing bonus, which allows that money to prorate over five seasons, including 2019.
The Lions did the same with Matthew Stafford’s 2020 $6M roster bonus.
GB creates 11.4M in 2020 cap, DET $4.8M.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 27, 2019
The Green Bay Packers created over $11 million in extra cap room in 2020 by adjusting the structure of Aaron Rodgers’ contract.
According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Packers converted $14.26 million of Rodgers’ roster bonus in 2020 into a signing bonus, which will give the team roughly $11.4 million in cap room next season.
Rodgers was due a $19.5 million roster bonus in 2020. By converting most of that bonus into a signing bonus, the Packers can spread out the cap hit of the bonus over five seasons.
The money will be paid in 2019, meaning a part of the cap hit will apply to this year’s cap, too.
With the league’s salary cap expected to be around $200 million in 2020, the Packers were expected to hold roughly $15-20 million in cap space going into the offseason. This move will drastically improve GM Brian Gutekunst’s financial power.
While creating cap space in 2020, the adjustment will raise Rodgers’ cap number in future seasons, opening up the possibility for more adjustments in upcoming years.
The Packers, who spent big in free agency last offseason, could use the cap space now.
The team has several important in-house free agents to consider, including right tackle Bryan Bulaga, kicker Mason Crosby and linebacker Blake Martinez, and Gutekunst may want to lock up Kenny Clark with a much-deserved contract extension this offseason.