Brady, Rodgers underpaid, but not for long
More power to Derek Carr, now wearing a virtual belt as the NFL’s highestpaid player.
Three years since he was passed over in the first round of the draft, the Oakland Raiders quarterback has cashed in with a five- year, $ 125 million extension that reflects productivity, potential, timing and the going rate. In the marketplace for the “Not For Long” business of professional football, you are what you can get guaranteed.
But if Carr is worth $ 25 million a year, what could Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers command? With other passers such as Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins aligned for big contracts, Brady and Rodgers should be worth instant raises — if only it were that automatic.
Carr, 26, led the Raiders to their first winning season in 14 years in 2016, but he still hasn’t started a playoff game. With his broken ankle now healed, Oakland figures to come back strong for another run this season.
Brady, meanwhile, is the only quarterback in history to win five Super Bowl rings, but he’ll average nearly $ 5 million less annually than Carr for the remainder of his deal. Brady ($ 20.5 million average) could have demanded more on his current deal. But in trying to avoid the type of predicament that stung Joe Flacco ($ 22.13 million), stretching New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft for every available cap dollar has not been his style.
But imagine the number if Brady were chasing NFL dollars. Shoot, he’d be paid like a maxed- contract NBA superstar!
Then there’s Rodgers, with two league MVP awards to go with his Super Bowl victory after the 2010 season and last season’s “run the table” declaration. He is arguably the NFL’s most- talented passer and used to have that crown as highestpaid player. But the deal Rodgers signed in 2013 ( it averages $ 22 million) is now so outdated. Compared to Carr, it’s like Rodgers is giving the Green Bay Packers a discount double check. His contract runs through 2019, though you’d expect an extension will come soon.
Rodgers’ average pay ranks seventh in the NFL, according to Spotrac. com. Cousins, Carson Palmer and Andrew Luck are among those with higher aver- ages than Rodgers ( and Brady), but no MVP or titles on their résumés.
Rodgers knows. It’s a matter of timing. “When it comes to setting the market values, I let that stuff take care of itself,” he said recently. “I know my value in this league, and I know the team appreciates me. I’m going to continue to make myself an indispensable part of this roster. When you do that, when your time come up … you usually get ( an extension).”
Meantime, needle- moving contracts such as Carr’s remind us that somebody, even Rodgers and Brady, is always underpaid.