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It is a common take that Aaron Rodgers has all of the power in negotiations in Green Bay. Considering it takes years to find a usable quarterback and decades to find one of No. 12's talents, many say he holds all of the cards. Speaking on Get Up!, Ryan Clark essentially said as much. He also alludes to the fact that overpaying the quarterback means some of the other players may go elsewhere. Here's what Clark said:
“Aaron Rodgers has already said he wants to be the highest-paid quarterback in the entire league. He wants to be the highest-paid player. Yes, you should sign Davante Adams. Yes, you should try to get Za'Darious Smith back. De'vondre Campbell was absolutely a phenomenal last year."
He continued, saying the quarterback knows his worth:
"But even in that Aaron Rodgers understands he's the two-time reigning MVP. And when you can do those things when you can carry a team in that way you want to be paid in that way. Aaron Rodgers has never shown us anything but that he understands his value."
He concluded by saying that the quarterback has all the power:
"And that's why he did what he did last year. And also why he has the team held over a barrel. This year. Aaron Rodgers has all the cards in his hand, and he's going to play them as he feels.”
Does Aaron Rodgers care more about Super Bowls or money?
Number 12 already has one Super Bowl win. He's a perfect 1-0. Is that enough for the quarterback? 1-0 in Super Bowls looks a lot better than 1-1. A 1-0 record helps support the argument that his team has held him back from the big game. If he makes it to another game and loses it, the narrative of the quarterback carrying his middling team would go out the window.
The quarterback is a master of winning isolated games here and there on his own and being clutch in the biggest moments. However, if he loses in the Super Bowl, the ultimate hero moment, his reputation would take a sting.
Could the quarterback be setting himself up with a lower quality team so he doesn't make the Super Bowl and therefore risk undoing the narrative that without him, his team would be nothing?
Perhaps the quarterback's reputation as a top-tier quarterback matters more to him than money and Super Bowls. Of course, if he can get another win, he could go out on top, leaving on a positive note. However, if he makes it to the big game and loses, his legacy could change from a quarterback good enough to win it all but who was stuck with a middling team.
No other narrative is good for the quarterback's reputation. As such, he could be playing chess while it appears he's playing checkers.
